


From Spring Comes Death

by TimeLadyoftheSith



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Bedsharing, Body Worship, Confessions, D/s factors that will increase as story progresses, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fighting Back, First Kiss, Gen, Healing, Hiding, Hurt/Comfort, Kink Exploration, Kissing, Married Smut, Maybe a slow burn, Multi, No Beta, Rescue, Revenge, Sexual exploration, Takes Place after Episode 95, Violence, coming into power, more tags to come, not sure yet - Freeform, over zealous parents, rape/noncon, wrath - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:01:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 71
Words: 201,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22423756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeLadyoftheSith/pseuds/TimeLadyoftheSith
Summary: When Apollo tries to claim her again, Persephone fights back. When Hades finds her bruised and crying, his only thought is to hide her far away from those who would do her harm. What happens when spring must stand against the merciless summer sun, and how can justice be meted without destroying the Pantheon?(Begins after Episode 95. I didn't want to post while it was still Fast Pass only. First two or three chaps will be short and specific POV. Rest will be longer and merged)
Relationships: Amphitrite/Poseidon (Lore Olympus), Eros/Psyche (Lore Olympus), Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus), Hera/Zeus (Lore Olympus)
Comments: 1413
Kudos: 2410





	1. Chapter 1

Persephone stared down at the crepe that had been forced upon her. With the absence of Artemis and Hermes, the formerly warm room was cold with her anxiety and uncertainty. She could feel Apollo's eyes burning into her face, the harsh, singeing heat of a desert behind it. She wanted to run, but she was also afraid of him giving chase. So, she forced herself to speak.

"I'm full." She pushed her plate away and stood. "I also told Mama I'd call her today. She's supposed to be meeting with Athena, so I'll be able to reach her through Athena's-" Persephone's silent plea that her lie would work was foiled before she took a step

"Athena is in council with Zeus all day." Apollo's eyes flashed slightly yellow as Persephone looked back. He was standing, palms flat on the table. "Sit..... down..." She recognized that look, the cold command that was so contradictory of his symbol, the greedy anger that had glowed in a dark room. "Persie, Now."

"No! I have nothing to say to you." Fighting hard against the cold ball in her gut, she started through the living room. "Go home!"

"You're acting like you're afraid of me." She swallowed hard as his voice forewarned of Apollo grabbing her arm. "You're my girl, Persie. Why are you afraid of me?" There was no confusion on his face, no disbelief, no remorse. Persephone wondered if he knew and was pretending, or if he really felt so little emotions. 

"Because..." She yanked her arm back, swallowing against the bile that his touch brought to her throat. "Because you.... you.... you raped me!" 

The laugh that echoed into the room made her skin crawl. "I did no such thing, babes. You said 'okay'." His fingers closed over her arm again, yanking her flush against his chest. "You said ok! I remember." Hard fingers dug into her bicep and hip, making her yelp. There was so much purple, all purple, clouding her vision. "You don't get to change-" Persephone felt a scream building, forcing its way up through a dark room, yellow eyes, and pain so intense she hadn't felt clean since.

"You didn't even let me say no!" The shout came out with such power that the room shook, and Apollo stumbled away. Persephone felt her skin burning, but not in the harsh, sizzling sun. This was coming from her core, broiling, quaking, shattering it's way up. "You pushed and pushed until I couldn't move, I couldn't fight, and I couldn't say no! Eros said that's rape-"

"You told Eros?!" The slap came without warning, and Persephone cried out as she was propelled towards the stairs. "You stupid girl! Here I thought I was going to have to lecture you about cheating on me with Hades, but obviously you need a lesson on keeping your mouth shut." Fingers dug into her hair, as the stars behind her eyes cleared, and Persephone cried out as the stairs scraped against her back and her scalp burned with his pulls. 

"Let me go!" She tried to pull away, to clamber for the rail to stop his dragging upwards. Her forehead collided with a rung, and ichor gushed onto the wood. "Apollo! Stop! Stop!" She grabbed up, trying to unwind his fingers only to be hurled across the landing into her own door. It fell open, and she scrambled back, vision tinted gold. 

**_Floomf_ **

Decayed leaves and wild thorns burst to existence as her hair tumbled down her back, tripping her in her unthinking dash to the window. 

"You weak, little B rate joke." Apollo yanked her back again, the pain exploding in her scalp. "You can't stop me. You're mine. Got that. I have the pictures to prove it. I'll ruin you if you betray me again!" 

Persephone groaned as she hit the dresser, sliding down as her head throbbed. Through the ichor and white noise of her vision she saw him prowling towards her, fingers at his belt. Then he was freeing himself, hard, intimidating, and stomach churning! "No! No! I'm not yours! I'm not! Don't! No!" His fingers were yanking her pajamas down.

 _You're clearly very powerful. You made a forest where nothing is meant to live_. Hades voice broke through the broken music of her mind, and Persephone clung to it. _I, for one, find you terrifying_.

Her legs were being pried apart, and Persephone felt the heat of relentless noon on her face. The power inside of her surged, and she gave in to the rage. "I said no!" She slammed her hands up and forward, digging nails into flesh, growling, crying, calling as her hair whipped and her body lifted off the carpet. "You cannot touch me! I am mine, and I belong to none! I bring life, and from life comes death!" She paid no attention to the claws of brambles her fingers had become as she slashed and cut and slapped. She felt ichor splqsh across her face, tasted it scald her lips. "Defiler!" 

"You crazy-" Apollo's face became visible as he lowered his arms, and Persephone howled in defiance as she whipped her hair around to curl around his throat. The red and black thorns tore his skin, dripping golden vengeance to his clothes. She squeezed, laughing out at the sheer relief that silencing his dirty words and touches had brought. 

"Who's weak now?" She spat wondering when her teeth had become so sharp they stabbed her own lips. When had her vision become so red? "I am Persephone, I bring death!" When had she said that before? It was so familiar.....

"Bitch!" Apollo's eyes glowed before Persephone could comprehend his intent. Light permeated the room, growing brighter, brighter, and brighter until it burned her eyes and scorched the vines and thorns along her skin and in her hair. "Gah!" Brighter still, at his cry, and Persephone felt her eyes burn. 

"Stop!" She scrambled to cover her face, feeling her skin slick with sweat as the force of the sun began heating the room. She gasped for air, feeling the life giving moisture of spring being dried in her veins. "No! No!" She hit the. ground, running forward, and felt hands on her throat and her bare thighs. 

Pain came through her skull with a resounding crack as her mirror shattered behind her. The carpet smelled like sulfur and death at her cheek. "Pathetic. You thought-" She couldn't see, couldn't breathe, her skin burned and blistered as she tried to summon more vines. That pain began again, that pushing, stretching, greedy pain. "You could resist me! You've got the pedigree but not the power baby. That's why you need, guh, me! Stop moving!"

Persephone kicked Apollo's knee, pushing him away from her center with what little strength she could summon, and she let her palm tap the ground twice. "Hades." She gave a gasp, as the burning, sightless, white of her ryes began to dim to black. He had promised, if she ever needed him...

"You traitor!" A fist collided with her temple, and then Apollo's feet were on the stairs. The door below her slammed shut, and burning white gave way to an endless garden of decayed roses.


	2. Chapter 2

Hades ruffled Big John's fur as he left the kitchen to head to the shower. The pack was ravenously devouring their meal, as if they didn't know the walker would be by at noon to take them out. Cerberus was, as every morning, pacing the hall. The big boy was always eager to get to work, although lately it had been reported that he was off his patrols. Hades didn't need to see the blue circlet of flowers those days to know he was out being spoiled. Persephone absolutely doted on the spoiled brat.

"Persephone, fates... I'm such an idiot." Hades turned on the water, waiting for it to warm as he made his way to the closet to pick out a suit. "I should have told her after Ares that Minthe and I were done. Then Hestia had to be all.... and Artemis." He yanked the pressed trousers hard, and watched as the hook on the hanger snapped. "Fuck." 

A thunderous bark, followed by a chorus of nails on smooth stone belied the pack's scramble to the door. Cerberus barked again, and the doorbell gonged loudly. "Who the hell is here this early on a Wednesday?" It wasn't Zeus or Poseidon, as they would have just transported in. The doorbell gonged again. The pack erupted into a cacophony of yips and howls. 

"Coming!" Grabbing a robe, he yanked it on and headed down the stairs. "Will you lot move?" He huffed, shooing the pups from the door. Small hands shoved him inside, followed by a flash of silver robes. Cerberus growled momentarily, then the whole pack was milling around yapping in excitement. There were only two goddess who could lay hands on him and not be mauled by Cerberus and those fingers weren't pink. "Artemis, please come in." He attempted to shut the door as he oozed the sarcastic invitation, but a red form slipped in. "And Hermes... delightful."

"Hey, Boss. Look, I tried to stop her, but you know how she is." Hermes flailed an arm towards Artemis so hard his messy bun nearly tumbled from his head. As it was anytime the Goddess of the Hunt was anywhere near dogs, the whole pack, barring Cordon Bleu, were demanding ear scritches and muzzle rubs. The fluffy ball of disdain was growling from behind Hades' leg. 

Giving a whistle, Hades turned to face his niece, crossing his arms as she skewered him with a glare. "To what do I owe this intrus-I mean visit." Artemis only ever came down to the Underworld when she delivered a hound's soul or to insure passage for one of her more devoted neophytes. 

"Persephone." Hades' heart leapt at the name, but the cold venom in Artemis' tone had him worried. What had Persephone told her? He'd tried his best to be kind and caring and friendly to his little goddess. "Stop fucking with her emotions, Uncle." The title rarely left Artemis' mouth, but it was so sharp he wondered if she'd somehow turned her tongue into a sword. "She is in Olympus under my protection, and you will stay away from her except under professional terms." 

"I have never fucked with her emotions!" 

"And you won't! Stop calling her! Stop texting her! I swear to the Fates, if you ever hurt her, I will make you suff-" Artemis words cut off even as Hades felt his form shift. It interrupted his train of thought that people needed to stop making decisions and threats for Persephone, as he'd well and truly learned. "You...you don't scare me!" The summons came, so soft, and ever so weak, but it came nonetheless. "Change back! I won't be intimidated-" 

"I am summoned." Hades lifted his face upwards, spreading his arms as Persephone's whisper echoed in his mind. 

"Don't you dare-" Artemis' enraged face and Hermes' shocked cry as he pulled her away were silenced as Hades felt himself shift through the ether. When the world reappeared, he snorted at the irony. He'd left Artemis in his foyer and now he was in her living room. 

"Persephone, sweetness. I'm here!" He quelled his form, heart swelling in joyous anticipation. Nobody else was here. He could tell her the truth now, explain the check was to pay back her scholarship if she wanted to leave TGOEM. He'd even come up with a plan to have her pay him back if she made that excuse. "Sweetness?" Her lack of response made him look around. 

The apartment was deathly silent, and indescribably hot. The heat seemed to be wafting down the stairs, and the paint on the wall that led upward seemed oddly bleached. "Persephone. Where are you?" He winced as his barefoot landed in something cool and sticky. Looking down, he saw a splatter of gold against the dark carpet, and its smell was unmistakable. Hades felt his heart sink. "Persephone!" 

Bellowing he sprinted to the stairs, seeing more ichor and decayed day petals in a path up to the landing. A few strands of pink hair were stuck in the drying ichor. "No.... nononono!" Hades launched himself up the stairs, and he howled in horror at the door cracked and splattered with ichor. The carpet here was faded too, as was the wall paint. The pink sheets beyond the door, along with the smell of burnt flowers told him where to go. "Kore!"

Persephone was supine on the floor between her dresser and a stand mirror that was shattered. Her pajama top was ripped open and ichor stained, and her bottoms were hanging from a vanity nearby. Her face was away from him, obscured by her hair that had practically flooded the room. It was full of brambles and vines and rose thorns. Instead of their normal, angry red, they were charred and crumbling. "Kore! Sweetness.... no. Talk to me." 

Gently, Hades collapsed to his knees to brush her hair back. That close the smell of ozone, sulfur, and heat was overwhelming. It saturated the room, but mainly her skin. Her beautiful pink skin that was burned to a near magenta. Blisters and bubbles were forming on her hands, neck, and face. They only amplified the bruises and swelling that marred her tender face. Both lips were split, now caked shut with drying ichor, her nose was seeping the same way, and both eyes were obscured by the burns and bruising. 

"No....no...." Tears stung Hades' eyes as he cradled her slight form in his arms. Her hair tangled around his feet, making him stumble. A nearby letter opener caught his eye, and he grabbed it to cut her hair back to her preferred length. Holding her gently to him, he transferred to his mansion once again, and it was, thankfully and frustratingly empty. 

Tenderly, he lay Persephone on his bed, covering her naked half with his own robe. It was then he noticed the finger shaped bruises on her thighs. Had she been? No, no, he couldn't think like that. If he did, he'd tear down the earth to avenge. "Shut your damn brain up and call Hecate." 

Hades sprinted to his dresser, grabbing up his mobile. He already had a missed call from Hecate, so he hit the call back button without looking as he knelt beside his precious flower.

"You missed the seven am meet-"

"My room at my house now! Bring your magic supplies!" Hades bellowed and tossed the mobile aside. Persephone gave a small whimper, but her eyes didn't open. Then Hades realized it wasn't her whimper. Mushroom, Little John, and Cerberus were in the door. Cordon Bleu was in the room, watching the bed with an air of less disdain than usual. Fudge smushed his way into the room too, plopping down next to Cordon. "Go wait down stairs.... go." 

"I'm here." Hecate popped into existence, and before Hades could look up she yelled. "Good Gaia." She rushed forward, bustling him out of the way. "Go put on some clothes. I need to.... just.... go!" The urgent command in her voice broke Hades' reverie, and he stumbled away.

He didn't want to leave Persephone's side, but Hecate was already tripping the pajama top off. He didn't want to violate the sweet goddess anymore than she had already been. He grabbed his lounge clothes, fighting the panic and dread in his gut, as he hurried to shower off the ichor and smell of putrified and burnt blossoms.


	3. Chapter 3

_Persephone let her fingers trail along the wilted roses, wincing as their disintegration released a sickly, sweet, fetid aroma into the air. She didn't know how long she'd been pacing the labyrinth of sun scorched and dehydrated roses, but she knew it was safer to be here than her room. Here there was no sky, no sun, no moon, and no animals. Everything was blank, barring her naked skin and the fading flowers._

_Had she been there for minutes, days, years? Honestly Persephone didn't care. She just had to wait for the pain to stop. If the pain stopped, then she knew it was safe to return. She'd learned that the last time. "I need to stop thinking about it." She let the pain slip into the furthest recesses of her mind, and she sighed as she continued her way._

_Now, though, something was different. There were sounds besides her thoughts. There were voices. That was new, because there had never been voices in the garden before. It had only ever been her._

_"Is she...Hecate. Is she going to wake up?" Hades voice carried from the path ahead. "You said you healed her. Why isn't she waking up?"_

_"Hades, she's in shock." Persephone edged closer, not wanting to disturb their conversation. How had they gotten into her garden? More importantly, who were they discussing? Who was in shock? "She was brutally assaulted in her own-" Hecate's exhausted, exasperated sigh echoed through the air as she was cut off._

_"Assaulted?! You mean Persephone was raped?" Hades' strangled shout made her flinch back. At the words, the pain flared to life again, this time it wasn't in her face and skin. It ached in her muscles, and it brought with it an all consuming shame. Had she failed the summons? Had she imagined Apollo leaving?_

_"No! She wasn't raped, although it looks like whoever did this tried to. I couldn't find any recent signs or trauma of forced intercourse, but there were...fluids on her and finger shaped bruises on her inner thighs." For the first time, rain began to cascade into the garden. It came as a fine mist, ghosting over her flesh, rustling the parched leaves. Persephone didn't realize, until she rounded a corner to find the maze hairpinned back, that the rain brought sweet relief to her skin and the flowers. The voices carried from that direction, so Persephone followed. "Hades.... she's, well, have you and Persephone... had sex?"_

_"No. Of course not! She's training for TGOEM, and plus, I wasn't sure she liked me like that until the last couple of days." His normally confident or teasing tones sounded crushed and drained. Persephone hated the sound instantly, and she started running towards it. She could stop that tone, if she could touch his face. That always calmed him! "Why? What's wrong?" There was a breath of silence. "Hecate! Tell me!"_

_"No, it's not my place. Look, I've done all I can. She still has a minor concussion, and she'll be weak and sore for a few days." At the mention of her pain, Persephone felt her muscles burn and throb, with a cry she tumbled into the mud. "She went primal or full form or divine, however you want to describe it. It takes a lot out of someone her age if done in fear or anger. My advice is to keep her in bed with light clothing so her new skin doesn't scar. You need to apply this ointment every three hours during waking hours, and this salve after a cool shower and before bed."_

_"On the light pink skin, right. You told me already-"_

_"And no sunlight or anything that mimics sunlight for at least a week, or those will cause her to burn all over again." There was the sound of a satchel rustling, followed by heels on hard floors. "Keep the lights dim, until her eyes heal completely. That should only take until dawn_

_"Thank you... for coming. Don't forget, I don't want anyone to know she's here. She needs to rest."_

_Persephone pushed herself up, as the voices began to grow fainter. "No! Come back! Don't leave me!" There were no other responses, no voices, and no sounds except the storm flooding her garden. Still, she ran, crying, terrified of what lie behind the clouds that had formed in the brightening sky. "Hades! Hades! Please! Don't leave me!" The muddy water rose higher, tossing, turning, rushing her plants away. "Can anybody hear me?!" A roar filled her ears, and Persephone felt a scream build as a wave of filthy water crashed over her. "Hades! Help me!"_

"I'm here. I'm here.... shhhhh I'm here, Sweetness. I'm right here." Cool hands held her gently, and Persephone blinked in the darkness. Hades' voice was thick and gravely, like he'd just woken up. Something large, cold, and wet snuffled at her, and the feel of the hands and that snuffling made her realize she was sitting in a bed with black gauze over her eyes. "Cerberus, down. She's okay."

"Hades... Hades. I can't see you!" Persephone clawed at her gauze blindfold as her heart began to race. Her hands were stilled by his cool fingers, so soft and sweet, and she let them fall to sheets that felt like luxury given form. Except, grabbing them made her hands sting. "Where am I? Hades, I don't like this. I can't see! I want to see!" 

"Here, let me..." the darkness became even darker, and the soft, black gauze slid up her face. "Easy, Kore. Slowly open them." Persephone eased her eyes open, hissing as they itched and burned like they were full of sand. "I know, they're still healing." The only thing Persephone could make out was dim yellow to her right, casting dark shadows and lumps around the room. "You should have full vision by dawn" 

"Thirsty." Persephone had barely gotten the word out when a cool glass was pressed into her trembling palms. "Thanks." She took a sip, not realizing how parched her throat was until the water coated it. Nothing seemed to matter except more water. 

"Don't, sweetness, don't chug it. Small sips." Hades' gruff voice was tinged with amusement as he touched her hand. Persephone tried to slow down, but the glass was beginning to grow heavy. "Here, recline back. I'll help." She felt his arm curl around her back, just as her body screamed to lie down again, and she sank into his embrace. The glass disappeared, only to return with a shadow of blue and silver. Again, she drank until it was empty. This time, her thirst was sated. 

"I can't see you." Persephone tried to make sense of the blue shadow cradling her like the most precious of treasures. "I don't like this... Hades. Am I blind?" As soon as she asked the question, her dream stirred her thoughts. She would heal in a few hours, right?

"Hecate says your vision will return by tomorrow. Hmmm" There was a pause as his arms shifted, followed by a brightening that instantly went away. "You should be seeing colors and shapes by now. Within ten hours or so you should have full vision again. You should try keeping them closed. I can put the scarf back."

"No. I'll keep them closed." Persephone let her eyes fall shut as she moved her hand to touch his face. Every muscle in her body groaned in protest, and her skin itched and pulled. Hades' fingers cupped hers, and she sighed in relief as he brought them up to his face. There was a dusting of stubble, along with an odd wetness on his cheeks. "You came for me."

"I told you, I'll always come when you summon me." His lips brushed her palm, and Persephone jerked reflexively. It wasn't fear or distaste, but shock at how such a simple gesture sent a wave of security down her spine. "S-s-sorry. I didn't think. I-"

"I liked it." She tried to lift her head, to open her eyes and squint at his shadow, but her energy was spent. She felt herself go as limp as a doll, even as Hades eased her back onto a pillow. The mattress shifted, as he gave a gentle, but worried sigh, and the dim light began to fade more. "Don't go! Stay with me. I don't want to be here without you." Persephone was certain she was in his house, but this didn't feel or smell like the guest bedroom she'd slept in.

"Sweetness, I was just dimming the lights and getting Fudge off the bed." The mattress shifted again, and Persephone felt comforting warmth radiate towards her as a thin sheet was pulled over. "I'm not leaving you alone until you can see and walk unassisted." The silence was thick and heavy, as she felt his bare arms against hers. "Plus you can't have a blanket yet, so body heat is mandatory." 

Again, the silence stole in, and Persephone tried to make sense of herself. She was exhausted again, but she was also terrified of what she would find if she went back there, to the garden. It was ruined now, broken and flooded and destroyed. "Hold me, for a bit, like you did in your hiding spot." Some part of her brain that wasn't murky and broken tried to worry about Minthe, but Hades was already scooping her into his arms and resting her burning cheek against his cool, bare, chest.


	4. Chapter 4

Hades had spent most of the day at Persephone's side after Hecate left, taking breaks only to let the dogs out and feed them. He had turned his phone onto do not disturb, and Hecate had directed his temporary assistant to take messages for all calls. His second in command had also popped in sometime around one to bring Persephone some clean clothes and pajamas, and dressed her for him. The day seemed slow and torturous, while he kept vigil, until the chair and the chill of evening wore him down.

He was, for once, glad for his insomnia. While Hades had crawled into bed at the early hour of eight pm, it had been to warm up Persephone's shivering. He hadn't realized he'd laid there for two hours, stroking her hair, and watching more and more of her burns fade to fresh, powder pink, skin, until she'd woken with a shout of his name. He knew she wasn't asleep again, given how her whole body was trembling against his chest. Hades wanted to ask, the unknowns of the incident was eating him alive. Yet, he didn't dare ask. 

"What time'sit?" Persephone's exhausted voice was muffled by his chest and their joined palms beside her lips.

"Five of midnight." He rested his cheek against her hair, resisting the urge to cringe at the burnt, dead flower smell there. Hecate had refused to bathe her, claiming the medicine needed to absorb into her skin overnight. She had offered to call Apollo and ask if he knew any quicker ways to heal severe burns, but Hades had shut that idea down. Nobody could know where she was until he was certain of her attacker. 

"Midnight?" Persephone jerked in his arms, then gave a groaned hiss. "I ache all over." Her thumb went to her eye, and Hades stopped it before she could rub. "When will the aching stop?"

"In a few days. Hecate's speciality is magic, not medicine, but she's the only one I trust to treat you." The sweet goddess gave a tiny nod and shifted her cheek against his chest until her nose brushed the underside of his chin. Despite his veiled rage and worry, Hades sighed softly and stroked her spine tenderly. "Nobody knows you're here except her. I haven't told anyone, not even my brothers." For a moment he was fearful that she would be threatened or offended by that.

"Thank you." Her breath tickled his neck, as she gave another soft whine of discomfort. "I don't want to talk... I'm not ready to..." Hades knew enough about people to read what she was saying, so he squeezed her fingers gently. 

"Then don't. Just know, when you are, I'm willing to listen." There was a tremulous silence between them, as Persephone freed her hand to splay her fingers over his heart. They were trembling, as she found a scar and began to rub her thumb over it. Hades gave a slight shiver at the pleasant feeling. Nobody had been that gentle with his scars since Hera tended to his wounds. "Yes; they are all over." He answered her unspoken question. He thumb stilled. 

"Sorry, I just can't see you, and touching you helps me stay calm."

"Oh, Sweetness, you don't have to stop, unless you are uncomfortable." He would wait to tell her that her touch was the only thing keeping him from hunting down every male on Olympus and torturing them into confessing.

To his delight, and the well-being of every man on Olympus, Persephone's little strokes returned. Hades' ears rang as their breathing became the only sound once again. Then, something hot and wet struck his chest, then another, and another. His little goddess began to shift oddly in her cradle of his arms and torso. "S-s-sorry." Her voice cracked, and her tiny. "Hades, I thought I was dying. I was so scared. I've never been so scared. Not even the time he... oh, sugar snaps!" She gave another violent sob, which only made her cry out and curl in on herself. "I don't wanna go to sleep."

"Then don't. We can lay here and talk about school or work." Hades knew the fear that came with sleeping. He had to grind his jaw and clench his eyes closed as Persephone's momentary outburst began to line up with a question Hecate had asked. He had to use every ounce of control to stop himself from shifting and unleashing an army of shades. Someone had hurt his sweet flower, and they deserved all the wrath he could muster. "Are you hungry? I can cook for you." He needed to calm down and caring for her would be the best route.

"No, my stomach hurts too much." Her voice was still thick, and when Hades reached up to cup her cheek, he found them soaked with tears. "I don't want you to see me cry, again." 

"Kore, Little Goddess, I can't see anything. Let it all out." He pulled her gently up until she could bury her face into his shoulder. "I don't think you understand how much it means to me that you trust me to be here, that you feel safe enough to let me hold you." His heart swelled, as her soft fingers curled against his neck. "You can stay here as long as you want, you know." Hades knew he was rambling, but he also keeping Persephone from accidentally saying more than she wanted. Hecate had said the tonic she'd given her for pain may make her loopy. 

"You have to go to work sometime." She gave an adorable sniffle before it was lost in a choked cough. Hades didn't know if she was feigning ignorance or if Persephone really hadn't understood his offer. The thought of her out of the safety of his kingdom made his gut twist.

"More water? I have a whole pitcher for you." She nodded, and Hades eased her back to the sheets. He took extreme care in the dark not to rub too hard on her newly healed spots. "Close your eyes. I'm turning on the lamp." He eased the light to the dimmest he could before pouring her a glass of water. Cradling her upper back, Hades helped Persephone hold the cup to her parched lips.

In the dim light, he did his best to nonchalantly measure the bruising on her face, neck, and arms. They were, thankfully, more rosaceous and less magenta. Her lips were no longer scabbed and scalded, and her eyebrows were regrowing. Seeing the progress a simple hour of talking in the dark had made alleviated a bit of his panic. Then She pushed the half empty glass away. "Better?"

"Hmmm." Persephone nodded, then flinched and whimpered again. Good girl that she was, her eyes stayed closed, even as she slid from his arm to a pillow. "Hades..." Her fragile whisper drew him around from reaching for the light. "Will you sleep here all night?" 

Exhaling in silent joy, Hades flipped the light off. _I'd sell my throne to sleep next to you for eternity._ He carefully slipped down to lay even with her. "Of course, Sweetness." Pulling the thin sheet back up over her arm, to ward off the chill of the realm without harming her new skin. "Would you like me to... well... we can keep cuddling, if it helps." Even in the dark he could hear her tiny, intermittent crying, and it was killing him. 

"Did you just say cuddle?" Persephone's tear clogged murmur cracked with a manic giggle as her hand slid back to touch his hip. "Did the King of the Underworld just say 'cuddle?'"

"Yes, is that a problem?" Hades resisted the urge to growl playfully at her as he covered her fingers, like he normally would at such a tease from her. He didn't want to spook his little goddess.

"No." Persephone gave a small wiggle that was followed by a keen of discomfort. "Hurts my skin to change positions. Can't come back to-" Hades eagerly interrupted her by slipping his arm under her pillow, curling their joined fingers over her waist to rest against her sternum, pressed his bare chest to her back, and curled himself around her. For a fleeting of breaths, he felt her tense, but then she relaxed and hummed softly. "I think, if you stay like this, I can sleep. I feel safe." 

_I would assign every shade and creature in my royal guard to escort you to the store if it made you feel safe_ Hades longed to kiss her bare shoulder, but reigned in his desire to rest his chin above her head. "Then I'll stay right here until you tell me to move." Her fingers squeezed his gently, and Hades spent the silence refusing his rage's demand to rip Olympus to fragments in search of her assailant. He would never forgive them for what they had done to her innocence and sense of security. 

It didn't take long for Persephone to go limp and her fingers to fall lax in his, but Hades didn't move. He closed his eyes and cherished the feel of her in his arms. If he had just told her the truth, maybe she wouldn't have been alone, maybe they could have been spooning in his bed last night, and maybe he could have been there for breakfast instead of staring at black coffee while she was being hurt. Hades knew he'd promised her never to act on her behalf again, but this was different. As his arm began to go numb under her pillow, Hades surrendered himself to sleep. "When I find you, I'll make my father look like the titan of peace." He swore before he knew nothing else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last singular POV chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

It was an all consuming, itching, throbbing sting that woke Persephone. It was mostly on her face, arms, and feet, but it rudely yanked her from a state of blissful unawareness to full consciousness like someone had dropped her in a nettle patch filled with ants. "Stop! Make it stop!" She jerked up, confused at the dimness of the dark room, and the guttural growl from the foot of the bed. She kicked the thin sheet off, floundering for her bedside lamp, but missing and banging her fingers on a side table that was much higher than she remembered. "Owowowow! What is wrong?" 

Persephone flailed for the lamp again, finding it, and when her fingers touched the base it surged to life. The yellow light burned her eyes, briefly blinding her as she tried to scratch her arms. The pink splotches she saw, paired with the not pink sheets, the sprawling empty room, and the sting jerked her back to the memory of Apollo. He had been in her room. He'd channeled the sun, burning her, trying again. "No! No!" She barely had time to imagine some horror of Apollo kidnapping her when something heavy was laying on her legs and three black heads where whimpering in her face. "Cerberus?" 

The rest of the memories came crashing back: the garden, the flood, Hades holding her as she wept herself to exhaustion, and finally the way he'd curled himself protectively around her. It struck her, even as a clatter of dog nails and bare feet came barreling into the door that she had guessed right that this wasn't the guest room. A discarded suit, massive television, an open closet door, and a box of open cigars revealed she was in Hades' room. Oh Fates, she'd slept in his bed? The shock was shoved away as the burning pain returned. 

"Persephone! What's wrong!" Hades was kneeling before her, eyes brimming with worry, breathing heavy. Persephone was in too much pain to even consider he was shirtless. "Kore, Sweetheart, talk to me." His large hands cupped her cheeks, which sent more stinging nettles into her spine and throat, stealing her words. "You're in pain. Here, let me. Down boy." Cerberus jumped off the bed as Hades produced a jar of silver liquid from his pocket and poured it into his hands. He took her face in his fingers again, spreading it over her skin, and Persephone nearly sobbed at the cool relief. 

"Arms, do my arms." More silver salvation coated her arm blotches, and Persephone let her head loll when he moved to her neck and chest. "Thank you." As the burning was alleviated, the ache in her head and muscles demanded attention. The room swam around her, but Hades caught her before she could tumble forward. Persephone forced his face into focus, instantly adoring the unabashed concern, and hating that she was causing him to look that way. 

"I'm so sorry, Sweetness. I should have woken you up when I did, but you were so tired." Hades wanted to kick himself for letting her night salve wear off. He'd been so distracted in how perfect she looked wrapped in his sheets, then the dogs begging to go out, and the gnawing hunger in his stomach reminding him his tiny pink goddess hadn't eaten in a whole day that it hadn't occurred to him to wake her for the medicine. "It's my fault. Please forgive me." 

"None of this is your fault." Persephone's voice was stronger than the night before, but she still looked exhausted. Seeing her face almost recovered and her healed eyes searching his were the most beautiful things he'd ever experienced. "You have anything for being sore?" Hades mentally kicked himself again. 

"Yes. I'm such a-" He bit back 'piece of shit'. The old self flagellation curdled in his throat. "Forgetful idiot this morning. Here Sweetness, Hecate said you should drink one capful twice daily until you're soreness is gone." He grabbed the bottle of purple tonic from Persephone's nightstand. "But you can't get up on your own while usinh it." He measured it out and held it to her fully healed lips. "It'll make you dizzy, almost like you're drunk."

"Like last night?" He nodded, and Persephone sighed before closing her fingers over his and tipping it into her mouth. Hades didn't think he would ever understand or get used to the way the young goddess trusted him without reservation, especially given the trauma she had been put through. "Tastes like pine trees."

"It can't be helped. Here let me prop you up." He swiftly pulled some pillows over for her to lean against. "I'm cooking breakfast. I don't want to burn it, will you be okay here for two minutes?" Again, she nodded, pulling the sheet back over her legs as she rested her head back against the throne of down behind her. "Cerebus, shouldn't you be-" His chastisement of his lazy guard dog was cut off as Persephone murmured.

"Can he stay? Until you come back?" Hades hated the look unadulterated fear that overtook her features as Persephone reached out to take Cerberus' collar. It was worse than the look she'd had in Tartarus, like the monster would be foolish enough to breach his border. "Please." The added plea was unnecessary as Hades was already undone by here mere presence. 

"Of course. I'll be right back." 

Cerberus leaped onto the bed, and Persephone buried her face in his fur. She felt weird, like when Eros had gotten her drunk. It was stronger than she remembered it being last night, but the pain was completely numbed. Even the ball of shame and anger and terror was subdued deep in her core. "It was him." She breathed to her four legged guardian. Cerberus whined quietly before growling deep in his throats, though they remained hidden. "What do I do?" Everything felt leadened and stiff, until she moved, and the mobile appendage felt terribly weightless. "I fought back... but he. I....." Persephone heaved a sigh as she pulled back from Cerberus to stare as Big John hopped onto the bed to crawl over and sniff her hand. 

"How can I go back?" She toyed with the fluffy, white fur behind Big John's ears, momentarily stunned by the softness. Persephone wondered if it was always that soft or if she was just feeling the medicine. "I don't have anywhere else to go. I can't go home to Mama. Maybe Hecate.... no, she's got her life." Her mind flailed, hazy, unsure, and sluggish. Hades may have saved her, let her stay here, and held her, but he had Minthe. How could she have forgotten Minthe. "I've ruined everything." 

Persephone had never been prone to poor self esteem. Her mama had always made sure that she excelled at whatever she put her mind to. "I'm just a dumb village girl, my good babies." Their cold, wet noses on her arms reminded her of her inner sanctum, her mental garden, of the storm that had flooded it. "I could go live in the mortal realm, except..." Apollo could touch every inch of the mortal realm. "No." She had to run, to hide. She'd tried to fight and she'd failed. He was older, bigger, stronger. He was Zeus' favorite, and he had all the privilege that came with that. "I'm just a B-rate nothing."

"Kore." Hades' voice was a quagmire of rage, sadness, and other emotions Persephone couldn't focus enough to figure out. He was standing in the door, tray in hand, staring at her like she'd just said she hated all of his dogs. "You are not a B-rate nothing." She felt her tears brim again, threatening to spill as he came to her, setting the tray on her lap after shooing her cuddle mates away, and curling his fingers under her chin. Persephone found, for the first time, that she couldn't hold his gaze. "And you can stay with me. That's what I meant last night."

"Oh." Persephone felt a wave of discomfort and guilt. She was in Hades' bed. He was shirtless, stroking her chin and jaw like her pain was breaking him. "But Minthe." 

"I dumped her three days ago. It's why I ran back to talk to you." Hades' smile was sad, but honest, and Persephone felt her guilt war with a wave of victory. "Before you ask, you weren't the cause. You can confirm with Hecate if you want. She witnessed it." He paused, eyes swirling red and black as she tried to make her leadened tongue work. "So, like I said. You can stay with me. If you want." The silver lid was lifted, revealing a beautifully arranged breakfast. "For now, you need to eat little goddess."

Persephone squinted at the tray as the dishes doubled momentarily. He'd made her a bowl of oatmeal, drizzled with honey, and a dollop of brown sugar in the center giving the impression of a daisy. There was a glass of juice and a glass of water, with a tiny bowl of red, gem-like fruit. "You remembered no meat." Hades offered her a soft smile before heading towards a door. "Where're you going?"

"To run you a bath." 

Persephone hummed as she began stirring her oatmeal, mixing in the delicious toppings. As she let it cool, she sipped the juice and felt her tongue explode in delight. She knew the scent, but her mama had never let her taste it. She claimed it wouldn't do until she was sworn into the group. "Hades, liquid ambrosia!" She eagerly took another sip, as colors exploded down her throat and into her mind. All worries from before seemed to fade. She took another long swig, as a comforting warmth began to unfurl in her belly and spill outward. "I thought only Hebe or Dionysus could make it."

"Being Hebe's favorite uncle has its perks." Hades, satisfied with the temperature of the water, rejoined his sweet lady. There was no denying he was gone for her. It was utterly over for him. If he was honest, his heart had been hers the moment she calmed Cerberus. Thankful her medicine glazed eyes were focused on her breakfast, he forced himself to speak. "Ambrosia should speed up the healing. I'm not sure by how much, but Hebe always gives Ares a whole flask before he goes on campaign." 

Picking up his phone, he confirmed with Hecate that he'd be working from home, though he wouldn't be logging in for a few hours. Then he set it aside and went to the bags she'd brought for Persephone. He carried them over and set them down where he laid the night before. "Hungry are we?" He chuckled, doing his best to ignore the avalanche of questions on the verge of breaking loose. One kept forcing itself forward, and it fermented in his mind. Hades swallowed it back. 

"These are delicious." Persephone's groan of approval jerked Hades back to her meal. Red juice stained her fingers as she picked up another pomegranate seed and popped it into her mouth. "I've had every fruit in the world, but these, these are new..."

"Pomegranate seeds." Hades preened as she quickly devoured a third, and he noted her oatmeal was gone, as was her ambrosia and water. _It's only because of the medicine. Hecate said it would ease the emotional and mental pain as well._ "It's the only thing the blossoms and fruits down here, at least until you came in." He reached out to pick one up, admiring how it refracted. He noted how Persephone paused, eyes wild as she stared at the seed. Hades knew she was thinking of the old laws. "These, were sent to me via courier by Hera this morning, as an apology for a minor incident." 

"So they aren't the fruit of your realm?" Her pink eyes were wide in awe, as if stunned that he had insured. Although, perhaps that was disappointment lurking behind the awe. He shook his head. "Scoundrel level fifteen" 

"I would never give you one of my orchard without telling you." Hades knew she was fully aware of the old law, how it was designed to keep shades from escaping. To his surprise, Persephone set the seed in her palm aside with a sigh. "Hecate got you some clothes, I'll take this downstairs while you pick out something to wear today." He collected her tray, before heading to the stairs. 

"She hasn't agreed to stay." He huffed at Marshmallow who uncurled himself from the bottom step. "That's twice I've offered." Hades felt his stomach clench as he realized that, despite her medicine induced pleas for him to stay, she may only be here because most Olympians were too afraid of his realm to come down. "I probably ruined everything. Maybe Minthe was right. Persephone hasn't seen my true form. Maybe she did when I rescued her. I must have scared her." Growling, he dumped the entire tray in the sink and headed back up the stairs. 

Persephone had pushed her sheet off, and she was staring down at five piles of clothes. Tears were dripping down her cheeks again, as she held up a pair of white pants. "Sweetness, you're crying." Heart aching, he raced to kneel beside her, taking the offending item from her limp grasp. "You don't like them?" She shook her head as she pushed him thr shirt. Hades breathed in relief and offered her a smile. "Then I'll send them back. That medicine is really messing with you. The food should help soon eno-"

"It's the exact pair I had on when..." she broke off, and Hades felt himself moving before he realized it. He tossed them into a trashbin beside his nightstand, the hurled the entire thing out the door into the hall. Persephone blinked at him, her sclera flashing red and white then back again. He clenched his fists, fighting back another shift in form, as she held up a pair of black pajama pants with blue skulls the color of his skin and a loose, strappy top that matched his skin with black skulls. "No white..." 

"No white." He crossed back to her as she tried to stand, catching her waist as she stumbled to the side. "Kore." He huffed softly before scooping her slight form into his arms. "I told you, no walking." 

"I just want to wash off, but the medicine..." Her eyes settled back to normal, but Hades was beginning to worry that the medicine was too strong. "If I can't walk, how will I-" He chuckled as he carried her into his sprawling oasis of an ensuite. Due to his height, he had had the tub specially made, with Poseidon's help. "Ohhhh you'll carry me in." 

"Yes, silly girl." Hades began wading down to the benches in the tub. Where it reached his thighs, the gently swaying bubbles would cover her breasts, and the spray handle would allow her to wash her hair without going under. "Gently, once you're covered I'll take your dirty clothes." He eased her onto a bench, and then turned his back while she stripped down. He ordered his body to behave. _Now is not the time to be acting like a hundred year old cad_. "I'll wait in my-" He felt his sentence die as she took his hand. 

"I'm having a hard time lifting my arms higher than this." Hades peeked over his shoulder, relieved to find the bubbles in the tepid water actually reached her shoulders. "My hair feels so gross. Everything feels gross." He eased his way to sit on the ledge beside her head and grab the water sprayer. "Thank you, Hades." 

"Anything to help, Kore." His phone chimed a Fatesbook message from his room, but he ignored it. "Lay your head against my knee, good girl." Turning the water on cool and low he began to soak her hair. Luckily, his own occasional vanity had constantly prodded him into keeping conditioner on hand and no just shampoo. So he let the silence wrap around them like a soothing blanket as he massaged her scalp and she splashed water on her face. 

_She's so trusting. How can she let herself be like this with me, after what this animal did?_ Hades didn't want to voice his doubts, but he still didn't understand how he could deserve this woman's, this epitome of compassion and purity's, trust, much less affection. _Who would be so heartless to break someone like her?_ Minthe's face swam to his mind, but Hades shoved it aside. Persephone said 'he' and 'him', and besides, no nymph could dream of taking on a goddess in combat. It's why Zeus' nymph lovers never bragged like the stupid, mortal women. They knew Hera would crush them.

 _Zeus?_ That question reared its head again, making him gag at the idea. Still Hades needed to know. He had to be certain. "Kore," he looked down as he rinsed the conditioner from her hair to see her holding a palm full of wilted petals. "I know I said you didn't have to talk, but I, can you at least confirm it wasn't...." he heaved a sigh as her head shifted against his soaked track pants to blink at him. "It wasn't Zeus, was it?" 

"No." Hades closed his eyes as he let go of the sickness in his gut. "Or Poseidon." That hadn't been on his mind, but the fact that she offered it made his chest tighten. "I'm not ready to say who yet."

"Okay, Sweetness. I won't pry." Hades shifted his legs slowly to let her know he was standing, and then he grabbed a towel to wrap her in as she stood. Keeping his eyes shut, he guided her to the counter and held her steady as she toweled off. Then, using her directions, knelt for her to step into her clothes. "Up we go, little goddess." He scooped her up and carried her back to bed. Again, his phone chimed, this time a text. Checking, he saw it was Minthe calling him a long list of slanders. Esch message pushed his Fatesbook notification further down.

"It's after nine!" Persephone gasped as her vision finally stopped swirling. Hades was in his closet, and peeked around to shake his head. "You missed work for me yesterday! Now today! Hades! I won't let-"

"I'm working from home, Persephone." He pointed across the room to a desk, and she saw his briefcase and laptop on it. "Told you. I'm not leaving until you're mobile!" 

She settled back into her nest, feeling less loopy than before, but the frozen, lead ball in her gut was becoming noticeable. Persephone didn't understand why he was doing this for her. Why would he want some stupid village girl taking up his time. Hadn't she already been shown she was nothing to someone like Apollo? Hades was a fifty times as powerful with an entire army at his command. "When you said I could stay, did you mean you want me in here?" She tried not to gawk as he came out of the closet in gray sweat pants that hung low on his hips, pulling a black shirt over his head. 

"Of course I want you in here, Persephone." She felt her breath catch, as all of Artemis' warnings reared their heads. _No. he wouldn't hurt me. He'd never treat me like_ Hades' words drew her back to herself through the marsh of her medicine, which was loosening it's mental hold. "But not if you're uncomfortable. Would you like the guest room again?" He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a smaller laptop and carried it to her. "Here, you can decorate it how you like. Just go to these three stores, because they'll do next day delivery. I have an unlimited credit line with them." 

"Unlimited?"

"I'm also the God of Wealth, remember." Persephone stared at the webpage in front of her. "In about an hour, I'll need to reapply your balm to your burns." He was at his desk now, picking up his laptop and carrying it to the bed, where she watched him sprawl out on his stomach and power it up. His phone chimed for what felt like the millionth time. Then it rang. "Don't worry about that, sweetness. You just rest and shop." 

Persephone swallowed hard as she exited out of the first tab. Apollo had been posing with his lyre on the front page, with his newest music room accessory line advertised. That lyre was still tucked away hidden in her room. _I don't want Hades to keep me like some pampered mistress. I need to pay for my own way. I can't be this weak. I have to go back to work and school._. "I'm not big on shopping, but I'll look." 

Satisfied Hades was engrossed at seething at at email, she opened her fatesbook page and saw a missed message from Eros.

**Where are you Cinnamon roll? You missed dinner with me and Mom. I have so much to tell you!**

Another came from Artemis that morning. 

**Hey roomie. Hermes and I are having a blast screwing with these mortals. They are particularly stupid. I won't be back until tomorrow morning, new Moon and all. Be safe, and no men in the apartment ^-^**

Persephone closed Fatesbook and began scrolling absently through the pages, paying no mind to any actual items. She just needed the distraction, but she was absolutely certain, even in her ever fading stupor and returning pain, that she was not going to spend Hades' money.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning:  
> The pictures of the rape are described.

Hades rubbed his eyes as he closed the last budget report. He needed a break before moving on to the monthly security briefing. Persephone was napping, having eaten a small lunch he'd ordered in for her. He made a mental note to find more vegetarian meal options for the kitchen than oatmeal and fruit, but going to the store was out of the question until she was fully mobile.

The burns weren't stinging her as bad, but he could still see how much pain the rest of her body was in. Even in sleep, Persephone looked troubled, her fingers tight in the sheets, a coronet of forget-me-nots was continuously blossoming then wilting in her hair. Hades wanted to wake her, to ease whatever nightmare was plaguing her, but she'd already fussed at him for doing it once. "I should have brought my glasses down from my office." He swung his legs over the side of the bed, rolling his neck as he prepared to get up. _I'll have a smoke and come right back._ There was, or course, the fact that he'd cancelled the dog walker, so his fuzzbutts needed to go out. 

"Come on you three." He patted his leg, stirring Big John, Fudge, and Marshmallow from their semicircle of poof balls around the tiny goddess. "And you lot too." Hades picked up his phone, his smokes, and his lighter, as Cordon Bleu stretched on his throne shaped doggie bed to hop down and prance away. Russell and J.P. wriggled out from under the bed and bowled over everyone to get to the stairs. "Sh! You'll wake her up!" 

Hades shook his head as he followed them, opening the kitchen door that led to their romping area of his yard. It had been, when he built the house, an attempt at a garden, but nothing could live in his realm except pomegranates. His personal orchard framed the back yard and sprawled beyond to the city limits. "Let's see why this thing keeps going off." He lit his cigarette before pulling out his phone.

His phone had been going off all day. There was, of course, the usual email tone. However, there had been a highly unusual amount of Fatesbook messenger and texts. Taking a drag, he began scrolling through. The majority were from Minthe, and he exhaled the smoke with a sigh as the entirety of the relationship issues spilled out on the screen, in reverse order: her self deprecation and attempt to guilt him into forgiving her, an apology for insults, and then the insults towards both him and Persephone. Hades cleared them all, feeling nothing but relief as he took another drag.

Then there was a series of texts from a number he didn't recognize, along with a file attachment.

 **You think your precious little pink goddess is so innocent?**

**Do you think you'll be the one to take that particular flower from her garden?**

**Too late, old man. I already did. She's mine!**

**Dontbelievemejustlook.file**

Hades felt his cigarette fall from his lips as his thumb hovered over the file link. Instead he tapped the message box.

**Who the fuck is this? Cowardly bastard!"**

**This Olympus Search Voice number is no longer in service. Olympus Search System Error 67812**

Swallowing hard, he glanced back towards the house, wondering if he should wake her before opening it. "Fuck!" Hades stomped his cigarette out before storming back into the kitchen and tossing his phone on breakfast bar. He grabbed a bottle of cognac, pouring it into a diamond tumbler he'd fashioned out of boredom one night. "Fuck! Fuck!" He threw the shot back, before pouring another and pacing a track around the bar. 

_Do I open it? How did they know I have her, unless her summoning me interrupted their assault._ Hades took a small sip, trying to quell his rage. "I want to look. I shouldn't." He growled, as the dogs came prancing in covered in snowflakes. _Should I ask her pemission? Would Persephone feel more violated if I didn't ask her?_ He threw the last swallow back before slamming the tumbler down. 

"No! Stop! How did you get in!" Hades jerked his head up as Persephone's voice rang down the stairs, wild, panicked, and broken. "You can't be here! HADES!"

"No!" Hades grabbed his mobile as he shot up the stairs. He barreled down the hall as Persephone sobbed, and slid into his room as his bident materialized in his other hand. "I'll fucking kill you!" His room was empty, barring Persephone who was curled on the floor on his side of the bed, clinging to his returned trash bin, and emptying her stomach into it. "Oh, Sweetness!" _Is she pregnant? Is that why he tried to kill her? Hecate asked if we had had sex.... no, she can't be._ Hades realized, as she met his eyes before retching again, that nobody was really there. "It was just a nightmare, just a nightmare, my precious girl." He dismissed his bident and tossed his phone at the bed, before collapsing next to her, holding back her newly grown hair. 

"He was in my garden. Nobody is supposed to be able to come in my garden, not even Mama." Persephone knew it was a dream, but that didn't stop her body from violently reacting to the idea of him touching her again. She hissed when Hades used his sleeve to dab her lips clean, as his fingers stroked her scalp soothingly. Another wave of nausea stabbed her gut, and she heaved the remnants of her salad into the bin. "Don't look at me." She tried to cover his eyes, but he caught her fingers with a feather touch.

"Kore, love. I need to ask you something very personal." His tone was a terrified whisper, as he pulled her into his lap and covered her belly with a large, gentle hand. "Are you pregnant? Is that why he beat you-"

"No! Why would you think that?" Persephone cut him off, feeling her heart race in panic. She hadn't admitted the rape to him, although she'd almost slipped up. How could he have any idea that this was more than an attempt to hurt her? Suddenly, she was being lifted into the air and eased back into his lap as Hades sat against the headboard. She vehemently wished for a toothbrush, while her stomach settled and the panic of her too bright and muddy nightmare faded. 

The medicine was wearing off, but Persephone didn't want to move. Hades was looking like he was ready to slit throats, and she knew that her needing him was all that was keeping him from storming Olympus and demanding a confession. "I'm not pregnant. I promise. I went to a clinic, and they tested me for everything. I got the results back just before he..." She hid her face in his neck and swallowed. "Before he showed up." She averted her eyes as Hades pulled her face up by her chin, with the softest of beckons. "Why would you think that though?"

"Because of something you said and Hecate asked." Hades' swallow was audible and visible as he lifted his phone from the bed and opened a message. "And because someone sent me this. I'm assuming it's him." 

Persephone blinked at the messages, feeling her stomach churn again. _The pictures! I forgot he had the pictures. Oh no! What if he sends them to everyone. What if he sends them to Mama? Who will believe me if he puts them out first?_ "Did you look?" She whispered, feeling suddenly naked and exposed in her thin pajamas. 

"No, I didn't want to see you in any situation like that unless you gave me permission." Persephone felt her panic and shame ease as Hades rested his cheek against her brow. "Did you know he took pictures?" Persephone hummed with a sniffled nod. "Did he send them to you? Did he try to blackmail you?"

"No." 

"Then how do we know they're of you and not some nymph?" His lips were soft and warm against her temple, and Persephone had the sudden urge to pull him into her dream garden so they could hide from this, avoid the pain, forever. Except it was ruined. "I won't look if you don't want me to, but as someone who had been threatened and blackmailed before. It's best to know if they have something, if anything to use." 

"I don't want to look alone." Persephone felt entirely too small, like she was shrinking into a speck of dust, but her mind was racing, swelling, and swirling with fear and disgust. She pressed her face tighter against his neck as he curled the hand not holding the phone against the back of her head. "I don't want you to look.... what if you see and think I'm disgusting or ruined or-"

"Kore." Hades' husky whisper as he pulled back and slipped his hand from her hair to her cheek made her open his eyes. Every time he used her original name, she felt it vibrate in her soul. Nobody else had that effect on her, ever. She held his gaze, though she wanted to hide her face again. _Why can't I be strong? Why can't I move past this, like before?_ "This is in no way your fault. Whatever is in the pictures, I would never, ever think those things about you. Do you hear me? Never." 

"I believe you." His earnest expression made up her mind, and Persephone turned in his lap to take the phone from his hand. She laced her fingers with his against her stomach as his other arm slid across her chest to cup the opposite arm, and his chin settled onto her shoulder. "Ready?" He gave her a gentle squeeze, and Persephone swallowed hard. _You can do this. Like he said, it may not even be you._ She clicked the file link and felt her mind burn in remembrance. 

It was her bed, the pink sheets so unmistakable. Her fingers of one hand were clenching the sheets, breasts exposed where he'd tugged her top down, and her other hand was covering her face. Deep in her core, a flash of pain echoed, making Persephone whine. "Hades... it's me. I told you." She felt like burning lead was being poured into her lungs, as Hades grew stiff behind her. How could she look farther? She couldn't breathe now as it was.

"I know, but we need to see them all." Hades didn't want to continue. It was so evident in the single photo how much pain and discomfort Persephone had been in. He could feel it in her now, the way she was trembling in his arms. He felt rage that had not consumed in in centuries boiling in his gut, as he squeezed their joined fingers. She scrolled down to the next one.

Her face was fully visible, eyes wide, head tilted back, lips parted, and fingers clenched over her abdomen. If Hades didn't know what Persephone looked like when she was scared and hurting, he may have mistook this one for consensual. _Skin, where is his skin? I need to see what color he is!_. She scrolled again, and the final picture was visible. 

It was her curl covered folds and upper thighs. Golden ichor was smeared over her bares skin and matted her fuchsia curls. Dripping from her entrance to pool on the sheets she as the unmistakable silver shine of godseed. Beneath her thighs on the sheets were wilted petals. Hades teeth ached for blood. "I'll kill him. So help me, Persephone. If you release me from my promise, his last days will make his trip into Tartarus seem like paradise." He took the phone from her and slipped it into his pocket. 

"No. Let me go." The fragile tremor thqt had tinged her tone since the night before was gone. In its place was a hollow numbness that reminded him of how his realm was when he first arrived an infinite abyss with untold caverns of nothingness. Instantly he released her, and Persephone slid from his lap to stare out at the dim sky behind the snowflakes. "No, he hurt me, not you." Her voice was still hollow, and her hair was waving down, mingled with red thorned vines that turned black with diamond hard tips. He tried to turn her face, to see her eyes, but she grabbed his wrist and tossed hit aside without looking. 

The floor began to tremble, and the windows shook. For a moment, a brief, flicker of light, a circlet of uneven obsidian and black beryl, identical to his, but much more delicate, hovered over her head. Hades barely registered the imagine before it was gone. _Did I imagine that?"_ Stronger and stronger the tremors shook the room, and he heard the dogs whine howl downstairs. "Kore! What are you-" He was cut off as the sound of shattering glass came from below his feet, and the dead plants that had once filled his back yard creeped lethally red up over the window, blocking the gloom. "What the fuck?!" Finally, she turned, and Hades felt his entire body vibrate in response. 

Persephone's pink skin glowed with an odd, black aura, giving her the appearance of overripe pomegranate seeds, complete with the light refracting off of her like a wet gem. Her pupils had turned mahogany, almost black, and the scleras were the scarlet of fresh mortal blood dripping from a sword. Her lips pulled up in a cold, calculating grin, as her lateral incisors sharpened to fangs like the bats that lurked in both his kingdom and the mortal realm. Her nails, gripping her thighs, were four inches long now, and they were made of the same, lethal material of her thorns. "I want to." She trilled, sickly sweet but simultaneously alluring, like a sirens call dipped in tainted honey. "I want to bring him to his knees, to make him suffer, to let him fear sleeping because of me!" From behind the wall of vines, alarms and sirens echoed, as the sound of monstrous thuds came in a four count thunder.

Deep inside of him, Hades' own feral form roared in response. He'd never felt the energy it held respond like that before. It wasn't fear or anger or defense. From his very core came a surge of understanding that this terrifying beauty before him was his equal. He wanted to unleash her fury, to match her in all her wrath. He wanted push her to the sheets and devour her until she was spent from pleasure and love and power. He wanted to worship her, and craved for her to worship him. There was only one explanation, one possibility, and if he had not heard his brothers describe it from their own experiences, he wouldn't have known. _Persephone is my Queen._ "You're breathtaking."

Persephone knew this feeling. She didn't know how, but she'd had it before. She knew nothing, felt nothing, except the craving for blood and ichor and justice. Everything else was numb, her burning, her fear, her anguish, and her aching pain. Hades lips moved, but she couldn't make out his words. All she heard was her pulse, and in that drumming was a thrice made howl. "His judgement is mine to claim. I am owed it, not you, not your brothers, me!" She slammed her fists onto the bed, as Hades eyes gleamed in sanguine approval, his lips curling back to reveal rows of razored ivory. Her most inner being preened at the desires his face betrayed him with.

Her growl, and the urge to surge forward and take his lips, were quelled as three growls filled the room. They rose and fell, and three drooling muzzles twisted and turned, before focusing at the stairs. Hecate was standing there, her clothes ripped and pale blue skin leaking ichor as she panted and leaned against the door frame. "What the fuck is going on in here!" 

Cerberus lunged towards Hades' second in command, and Persephone felt her rage snap into nothing. "No! Cerberus leave her alone!" Her newfound guardian froze, looking back with a triple whimper. Six eyes blinked at her in remorse. "Good boy." A wave of dizziness hit her, and she felt her core muscles give out. "Hades... I don't feel so-" The room went black.


	7. Chapter 7

When Persephone came to, it wasn't slowly but it wasn't rough. She found her eyes open, her throat sucking in a breath, and the image of a queen in black in a garden of red brambles fading to a haze. "Hades?" She sat up, trying to recall what had happened. One moment they'd been looking through those images, and the next she'd woken up. A thud from the window made her jump, and she saw it was covered in something red and tangled. A piece pulled away to show a shade with a chainsaw, cutting it up. 

The room smelled odd, like overripe fruit nectar and crystallized honey. Another, expressionless shade was sweeping brambles and scarlet petals into a pile, only for Fudge to yap and plunge into them and send them scattering again. "Silly baby. Stop pestering the poor thing." She pushed herself up straighter, reaching up to instinctively push her hair behind her ear, only to find it in her preferred pixie cut. _I know it grew! I remember. Did Hades cut it for me?_ Fudge grabbed a bramble and pounced over to a corner. "Hades?" She called again, her throat a bit dry. She noticed her cup and water pitcher had returned, so she took a quick drink, waiting for him to come running.

Then she saw his clothes from before tossed at the foot of the bed, and the discarded suit was missing. So was his briefcase and laptop. "He left?" She whispered, feeling her disappointment wash through her. A tiny harumph of a bark drew her gaze, and she saw Cordon Bleu standing in the doorway, staring at her like she was beneath his caring. "Where's your Daddy? Did he go to work." The tiny ball of disdain turned and pranced into the hall. "Cordon, I'm not supposed to walk!" She huffed. Then it hit her. 

Her skin was starting to sting and itch again, but the bone deep ache and soreness was gone. Upon further stretching, the woozy, shaky, drunk feeling was gone too. Persephone swallowed hard, as she contemplated breaking the rules. "He'll just carry me back if he sees." She shrugged, and slid from the high bed to stand. Out of the covers, without his warmth, the chill of the house made her shiver. So, she grabbed his discarded hoodie and pulled it on, rolling up the sleeves. 

"Sorry for the mess." She whispered to the shade, who blinked slowly at her, as she passed. In the hall, she found Cordon Bleu seated at another flight of stairs. It didn't go up a full floor, and Persephone tried to remember the layout of the mansion. That should lead over the pool room. The tiny prince of the underworld scurried up the five stairs, and down a side hall. "Slow down!" Persephone held onto the wall, though her legs didn't feel too weak, and followed him. He was nosing open a door and sliding in. A single beam of yellow light spilled out with the sweet, heavy smell of cigar smoke.

"Well the press can go fuck themselves." Hades' exasperated hiss was barely audible, so Persephone eased closer. Peeking through the crack, she saw his legs propped up on a desk, black socked feet crossed at the ankle. Leaning against a window was Hecate, with a tablet in her hands. "I gave them my statement, and if that's too littlr for them, then that's their problem." 

"The problem is we had three hundred freshly delivered shades from Ares' last campaign disappear from the Beach and appear outside of your house, terrorizing any passersby!" Hecate shook her head, and Hades' feet switched position. A cloud of smoke billowed over them. "Nobody is going to believe it's because you had a nightmare about the Titanomachy! Plus, the giant blanket of sentient thorn vines that is still being cut off your bedroom side of the house! Can we broadcast the fact that you kidnapped the Goddess of Spring and have her in your bedroom any louder?! This is insane!" 

Persephone slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the squeak of surprise. _What happened when I unconscious? Had Hades lost control?_

"What do you want me to do? You saw her! We can't let Olympus know how powerful Persephone is! Not until she's ready to exact her vengeance." His snort was one of a man who had clearly been repeating the same argument to someone with the same rebuttal for hours. Knowing the pair, they probably had been doing just that. Persephone didn't quite understand what he was saying. _I'm not powerful. Didn't I already learn that when Apollo nearly killed me?_

"Hades, Persephone summoned shades! She encroached on your realm. Doesn't this concern you at all? How does a seasonal goddess have powers of an underworldling?" Hecate was showing him something on the tablet now, and Persephone felt the ground sway under her. "You can't tell me this was you! Your command over shades gove them cloudy blue eyes. These are clearly red and mahogany, like Persephone's were when I walked in. What aren't you saying?" 

"It doesn't matter. As long as no-one knows she was and is here, nobody will tie this to her." There was another cloud of smoke, and Persephone swallowed hard. Their words weren't making sense. How had she summoned shades? When were her eyes red and mahogany? They had been and were always pink and white. What had happened to her? 

"Hades, I've been the closest thing you can call a friend for centuries. I have stood by you, have counseled you, have done my damndest to keep Zeus' reputation from rubbing off on you too much. You need to tell me what happened that caused her to go into primal form. She's too young to be sustaining that form without stamina training! She's been unconscious for three hours! What are you hiding? I need to know so I can doctor up a story just in case." 

Persephone felt her breathing freeze at Hecate's ever louder demand. She watched, clutching Hades' hoodie sleeves in her fingers, as his socked feet disappeared. "There's no need to doctor a story up." The cigar came into view, resting in a tray that was blocked by a pen holder. As he spoke, his voice grew closer to the door. "Persephone can control shades, but the reason is... well, you're gonna wanna sit for this." He paused, and she heard rustling of a bag. "Don't! Hey! Don't bite Daddy! Take the damn treat, spoiled brat." She was oblivious to the sound of paws coming to the door. "When Persephone was in her primal form, my primal self it recognized her."

"Recognized her as in...." Hecate was looking like he'd just doused her with icewater. _What do they mean, recognized me? I don't have a primal form! I'm not that powerful!_ "Please tell me you're joking." There wad a breath of silence. "Demeter is going to-"

"Hey!" Persephone cried out as Cordon Bleu nudged the door even wider and rushed between her legs, making her jump. Her elbow hit the door, and she felt her entire body flush as two pairs of eyes set in pale blue skin turned on her. "Um, hi!"

"Yeah, so I'm going to go." Hecate gave her a soft hug as she passed by. "Approach with caution." She hissed, before disappearing. Persephone wanted to hide herself in the hoodie, but found herself frozen under the piercing gaze behind the desk, standing at a high backed chair.

Hades approached the blushing goddess slowly, amazed by how deceptive she was. She looked so fragile and innocent in her cute skull pajamas and his massive hoodie. He had a flash of an image of her in nothing but his formal uniform coat and nearly groaned out loud. Now that he knew the truth of her, he felt no shame in his desires. He would wait, though, for her to give her signal before he even tried to kiss her. _Who could ever have imagined someone so small, so beautiful, so compassionate_ He felt his lips twitch up into a pleased smirk. _And so dreadfully vengeful could love me?_ "I know Demeter taught you eavesdropping is not very polite." 

"Mama also taught me the three kings were womanizing scoundrels, but here I am with you." She shot back with a simple shrug. "I overheard a lot." Hades opened his arms, and sighed in relief as his Little Goddess wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt. "I don't remember anything you two said I did."

"The first few times when we tap into our full power, our primal natures, we don't retain the memories. I don't remember mine." Bending slightly, he scooped her into his arms and gave her a gentle squeeze. "You should be in bed, until at least the morning." She stabbed him with a look, just as her stomach rumbled. "How about I take you to the kitchen and let you eat the delicious eggplant parmesan the delivery boy braved the paparazzi to deliver for you." 

"You can't distract me with food. Besides, I don't feel sore and weak anymore, just a bit stingy and itchy, I didn't see the salve." Hades kicked himself as he remembered it was in his lounge pants on the bed. He carried her down the stairs, trying to recall how her crown had looked. He wanted to get started on it, even if it took three hundred years before she married him. "I can walk you know." Her statement didn't march the way she rested her head against his shoulder and inhaled deeply at his collar. 

"I know. Why are you sniffing me, Sweetness?" Honestly, Hades didn't mind. He loved her scent too, the way she constantly smelled of night jasmine and vanilla blossoms. 

"I'm just breathing." He chuckled as her cheeks flushed magenta, beneath the four pale pink splotches of still healing skin. Entering the kitchen, Hades shooed the shade who was cleaning up the glass from the shattered light bulbs off the floor. He set her down on the counter between the fridge and the oven, because Hades found now that he didn't have to kick himself for feeling for her, he didn't want her to be out of reach unless he had no choice. "Curtains?" 

"Told you, nosey neighbors." Hades glanced over at the two shades packing up the tools they'd used to hang the curtain rod. "Well, press technically." He pulled her container of food out, placed it on a tray, and started the oven. "Tomorrow, I'll go get groceries. I found a vegetarian cookbook in my study, and I'll start cooking you things like this." He stroked her arm, as he reached up to get her a glass. _This explains why I feel like this, why just being near her makes me feel weaker than ever before, but so powerful I could fight a titan blindfolded. My Queen._

"Hades, you're overfilling the juice."

"Shit!" He looked down to find the juice had overflowed enough to make a small puddle on the counter. "Sorry-"

"Should have been staring at the glass and not me." Those pink lips pulled up in a smile, and Hades couldn't stop from reaching over to ghost his thumb along her chin. 

"Forgive an old man, but have you seen how adorable you look right now?" He mentally chastised himself, as he sipped the juice enough to make it safe for her to drink, and fumbled for a dishtowel. Hopefully he had distracted her enough to avoid her asking questions about what happened. "All cozy in my jacket, hair mussed from sleeping, sipping juice in my kitchen." The oven beeped, and he pulled a tray out to place the container on it and slide it in to warm, when he looked back, she was staring at the glass with a scowl.

"Persephone, I'm sorry. I know you're not in a place to deal with me flirting." _Idiot! Just because you know she's your future wife doesn't mean she's in a mental place to have you drooling_ Hades turned away to grab his preferred evening scotch, but a soft touch on his elbow stilled him. 

"Hades, please don't let what he did to me come between us." His throat tightened as he found Persephone watching him with a nearly sad smile. "Have I ever stopped flirting with you?" 

_Not until the Ares incident_ He thought, but didn't say aloud. "No, but you did pull away the other day. You asked for things to slow down. Once I found out about what was in the pictures, I thought it was because- He silenced himself as she shook her head and spoke. 

"The first night you called me, and I sounded like I'd been crying, do you remember that?" How could he forget? _I couldn't stand the idea of hanging up on you. I wanted to hear you talk for forever. I still do._ hades nodded, as she stroked the rim of her glass with a thumb. "That was five minutes after he... well... he left. So, no, that isn't why I asked to slow down. I only asked because I didn't want to hurt Minthe." 

Deep inside of Hades, the slumbering rage began to unfurl again. He didn't hear her last sentence, as the list of suspects was fractioned down into a small group entitled: **Men allowed to come anywhere within shouting distance of Artemis' apartment**. Something wet hit his face, and he blinked as Persephone flicked juice on him again. "What was that for." 

"If you keep glowering like that, your face will get stuck. Now come here." Her small arms opened, and Hades was helpless to resist. He stepped into her, feeling his entire being relax and calm when she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "Tell me what happened. I heard you and Hecate saying I summoned shades, that I covered your window in vines, but I don't remember. How could I summon shades? I'm a season and plant goddess."

Hades groaned in defeat. There was no distracting Persephone when she was determined to find an answer. He just wished she would let herself fully recover before diving headlong into something this big. "If I agree to tell you, can you wait until after you eat?" He murmured into her hair. 

"If you promise not to confine me to bed for another day, I'll agree."

"You drive a hard bargain, Little Goddess, but I agree to these negotiations." He pulled back, so she could look up and see the exasperated smile he was flashing her. The victorious grin told him she knew she had hustled him again, but he didn't care. Hades pulled back when the desire to catch those succulent lips with his own burned wild. _Let her move first. She may be acting like she's fine, but I don't want her to feel pressured_. "Where do you want to eat?" 

"The table is fine." Persephone slid off the counter, feeling a bit disappointed that Hades hadn't gotten the signal she wanted to kiss him. The rejection stung, as for a moment she wondered if he was only acting like this to keep her from breaking down. Any other god would be furious at her for encroaching on their speciality. _He wouldn't punish you for that, Persephone. If he was upset, you'd be chained up in Tartarus or back at Artemis'._  
"Where's your food?" She noticed that the meal was only enough for her when he placed the plate in front of her. 

"I ate already. Sweetness, you were unconscious for three hours. We weren't sure how long you were going to be out this time." She picked up a fork, as her stomach grumbled loudly at the succulent dish before her. From the corner of her eye, she watched him get down a bottle of bronze liquid, a glass that looked made of diamond, and a tray of tiny ice cubes. "I'll drink my dessert." 

Persephone found herself unable to look away from the casual way he dropped into the chair across from her and swirled his drink. A hot rush flooded her chest, like it had at Hera's dinner, and she shoved her fork in her mouth. She hadn't realized how ravenous she was until the flavors burst over her tongue, and she moaned in delight. "This is amazing." She breathed, after swallowing. "You always feed me the best food!" 

"You deserve the best, Persephone." The statement was so casual, so nonchalant, that Persephone wondered how often he'd thought that with her face in his mind. He took a sip, snd she averted her eyes back to her food. "How are you feeling? Your night salve should be put on soon. Do you still need it? Your skin is still healing." 

"Much better, but still burning a bit. Hecate did an amazing job, and I've had the best care taker." It was his turn to blush, and Persephone reveled in it as she devoured her meal. As they settled into a comfortable silence, small bits of his words over the last few days snapped together in a mosaic, revealing the most stunning of windows. A realization lit up her mind, and it glowed deep within her. _There's nothing standing between us. Hades can be mine._


	8. Chapter 8

Persephone clutched her cup of coco, as she tried to make sense of what Hades had told her. It had ling since grown cold. She couldn't remember any of it, the anger, the rage, Cerberus, nothing. Yet, that feral, glowing power in her core was winding around her thoughts, filling her with a sense of acceptance. "But, how was I born with Underworld powers? I've never tapped into them before." She had a feeling Hades knew, but was holding back. "Wouldn't Mama have known."

"Not necessarily, I was only able to make precious gems until I became an adult, when my others started showing." His palm extended, revealing a pink gem the exact shade of her eyes. "You only recently stopped aging, love. Your powers are still blossoming." She took a short sip, trying to understand how she could only be nineteen and already have three manifested powers. _What will Mama think? How do I tell her that I'm more than a flower goddess. Now I have fertility and I control the dead._ Technically, Hades believed she could only control the recently deceased. He had told her that may spread to all shades eventually.

"And you don't mind that I'm encroaching on your domain? Shade control is your most known power." She set her cup aside, before tucking her legs under herself so she could be a little more even with his eyes. All Persephone could see there was the same, soft adoration he had worn over dinner. Although, occasionally his lips would twitch into a smirk as his irises flashed scarlet. 

"Kore, I think you're missing this entirely." His voice dropped low, as if he was afraid someone was listening and he only wanted her to hear. Those large, wonderful hands cupped her face, making Persephone feel warm to her toes. "It pleases me to no end that you share in my powers. In fact, I'm absolutely honored. If it were any one else, anyone but you, my Sweetness, I would be out for their blood." Again, the familiar but strange power that seemed to have taken up residence low in her gut purred with feral delight at his tone. 

"Tell me why!" She covered his knuckles, pushing his hands down to clasp them in her lap. "I don't understand. What makes it different than I can instead of Artemis or Eros? It can't be just because you like me." She growled in frustration as he chuckled and pulled his fingers away to tap the underside of her chin. 

"I can't tell you, not yet, not until you can remember your primal memories." Again his eyes flashed, and Persephone didn't understand the myriad of emotions behind the bloody glow. "Fates, Little Goddess, you have no idea what you're capable of do you?" She pouted at his throaty chuckle, looking away. While he had described her appearance, he adamantly refused to explain what recognizing her meant or what she had said. "Now, don't be like that. Blame the Fates. They make the damn rules, not me." 

Persephone needed to think about this, she felt like her answers were right there. They were written on his face, but she just needed to put them together. She couldn't do that with Hades looking so inviting in his half unbuttoned shirt and teasing smile. It was so easy to forget why she was even here, that she was, in essence, hiding. "So why did you and Minthe break up. You haven't told me." 

Hades winced internally, at the abrupt change of subject. He ran a hand down his face, as he recalled the red hand colliding with his head. "Does it matter? We were too toxic together, it just took half a century for us to realize it." She always knew which questions to ask to make him want to kiss her and run away screaming at the same time. One eyebrow cocked on her adorable face, and he knew she was not accepting that. "S-s-she hit me, in the middle of Tower 3." 

"She what?!" Persephone's eyes flashed and Hades had to grab her hands. Instantly, they cleared, and she reached up to cup his cheeks like he so often did to her. The pain and shame of Minthe's slap ebbed into a ripple versus the heavy wave it had been. "That's not all she did. Tell me." Those eyes, the color of the richest kunzite he'd ever produced, bore into his soul, and he felt couldn't stop. 

"She said nobody but her would ever want me, because I'm the spitting image of my father. That everyone avoids me because of that." Hades felt the words' prior impact begin to flicker. "She always reminded me how I'm a piece of shit, so I wasn't surprised. It's just this time, it was at work. There were witnesses, and Hecate... well she's Hecate." 

"Minthe lied. She wanted to hurt you because she thought if she could break you down, she could keep you all to herself." Persephone was in his lap before he could blink, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his face to her shoulder. Hades let her, curling his arms around her, letting the bottled pain be soothed by her words murmured into his ear. "Athena and Hebe adore you. Hecate cares for you. Your brothers love you, and so does Hera." _I know you're my queen, but do you love me, Kore, Persephone, my little goddess?_ "And if anyone says something like that to you again. I'll make them suffer in ways that will make you seem tame."

Hades pushed persephone back to find her eyes glowing scarlet. If he didn't calm her down, things were going to get newsworthy, again. He leaned in, ghosting her ear with his lips. "And if I talk down on myself, do I get punished? Because, I usually prefer giving the spankings." 

"One hundred percent!" Persephone pushed Hades face away and scrambled from his lap and threw a napkin from the table at him. She wasn't the least bit upset at him, but his whispered words, the feel of his lips on her ear, and the idea of his hands on her bare skin had sent that warm, powerful sensation from the hospital into her core and up to her throat again. "Full scoundrel!" His laughter was rich, filling the room, as she threw another napkin at him. "I'm going to take a shower." 

She spun on her heel, as she tried to flee before he could see what would happen. _What am I doing? I was almost raped and murdered two days ago, and now I'm practically stripping down for Hades?_ it was no use, because she felt her skin begin to shift and the heat explode out into the air. Petals swirled, and flowers sprouted where her feet touched. Except, they weren't fragrant and beautiful like before. The petals were wilted and smelled noxious, and the flowers were lethal aconite and snowy hemlock. "No!" She felt the thorny vines rip her pajama pants, and she lifted her shirt. Her previously luscious blossoms were sickly and toxic, choked by the red vines.

"Kore, what is going on?" Ignoring his inquiry, she flew up the stairs She couldn't remember where the guest bedroom was, so she hurled herself through Hades room, into the ensuite, and locked the door. Almost immediately there was a soft rap on knuckles on the stone. "Sweetness, do you want to talk about what just happened?"

"No!" Persephone pushed away from the door to stare into the mirror. Her once bountiful blossoms and ferns that Hades' touch and smile brought were wilted and choked by the vines. _What did Apollo do to me? Why am I like this? I wasn't like this before. I was beautiful four days ago, but now I'm wilting. Why is this happening now?_ "I don't want you to see me like this."

"O-okay." She turned to the door, feeling tears at Hades' defeated tone. _Okay? He isn't going to try to push me?_ "Listen, Persephone, I'm going to leave the night time salve and some fresh clothes for you on the bed." Persephone rubbed her cheeks with his hoodie sleeves, as she watched more petals curl into black on the floor. "Also, if you need them, extra toothbrushes, shaving cream, and razors are in the draw with a ruby knob." 

"Thank you." She pressed her cheek into the wood, as she heard him walk away, followed by a whine that could only be Cerberus. 

"No, leave Mommy be. She needs some space." Another whine, and Persephone felt more tears break over and down her cheeks. 

She pushed away from the door to rummage in the ruby handled drawer, which was made from an ruby she learned. _Mommy...Fates, I can't keep risking things. Who can I talk to? I need advice._ The drawer had an odd array of items: three neon blue hairties with rainbows, a headband with bunny ears that were made of what looked like real diamonds, a twin pack of little girls toothbrushes with tiaras and peacock feathers, and in the very bottom an unopened pack of men's disposable razors and a can of unscented, anti razor bump, shaving cream. "I wonder how often Hebe comes down for sleepovers." 

Facing away from the mirrors, She turned the shower on as hot as possible, begging the steam to obscure the mirrors and windows. Persephone didn't want to see herself. She stepped into the water, crying out softly as her still healing skin protested with angry stabs and throbs. "Just a bit longer, I can do this." She stepped out of the spray, filling her palm with the cream and slathering it over her wilted and tangled blooms. Then, biting her lip, she dragged the razor along her hip and felt the stems and roots pull free of her pores. "Sweet Gaia!" Before, they had turned to golden pollen and drifted away when she found Hestia at the house. 

Again and again, Persephone cut away the evidence of her shame, of the sickly tainting that was swirling in her core. Once the only thing left was the curls hiding her folds, she washed her hair, and watched the shaving cream, ichor, and dead foliage swirl to the opposite end of the shower and disappear down the drain. Ignoring the fogged mirrors, she patted her scalded skin dry and tiptoed onto the room. It was empty, with the door to the hall shut. Sure enough Hades had left the salve, some pale blue pajamas, and a note on the bed. 

**My Sweet Persephone,**

**I'm so sorry if I was inappropriate earlier. I'm not sure if it was my spanking comment or the way I kissed your ear. It doesn't matter. What I did was unforgivable given your current state, and yet I pray that you forgive me. Take the bed. Cerberus should be in the hall, and He'll sleep with you if you want. I'll be in my study, if you need me.**

**Always and Only Your Scoundrel,  
 _Aidoneus Hades_  
P.S. There's a minibar in the wall behind the tapestry of a cypress. I left you water and a little snack. **

Across the house, Hades tossed the towel he was drying hid hair with aside so it landed inand tied his robe around him. He opened a window overlooking back yard, before dropping into his chair. He tapped the space bar on his laptop, before picking up his previously abandoned cigar and lighting it. "You're an absolute idiot for a King." He chastised himself. Once Persephone had disappeared into his ensuite, he'd used the pool room to complete his own ablutions. "She's young and innocent and she has been through horrible trauma. What do you do, make a damn joke about spanking her." 

Hera and Hecate would slap him if they found out he'd been so crass with her in this state. "Fuck my life. Can't I touch anything without ruining it?" He typed in his password before taking a drag. Normally work provided an adequate distraction, but Hades couldn't keep his mind off of what he'd witnessed in the hall. 

Petals had been swirling around the room, dead and decayed before they even touched the ground, and tiny flowering plants and stunning blue blossoms were spaced like foot prints down the hall. Persephone had been standing there, sobbing as she lifted her shirt to reveal more of the flowers and thick red thorn vines coming across her hip and up her back. These leaves were petrified and toxic looking. Her expression, the magenta flush of her skin, reminded him of the petal storm and rush of spring at the hospital, only that had been inviting like a woman in silk. This had been a beckon to death, and not a pleasant one. 

"Did I cause that?" He took a draw from his cigar and exhaled. "Future queen or not, I had no right to throw my kinks out at her feet." He opened his email, scrolling through to find the email to his favorite jeweler. Though he could manifest the gems and metal, he didn't like how his attempts to fashion his own jewelry turned out. There he placed an order for a string of perfect pearls, matching earrings, and a bracelet. As an afterthought, he added a delicate anklet with a puppy paw made of sapphires. "I hope that works." 

He closed the email out and accessed the annual report from Elis, the only city that worshipped him. Though he'd never admit it to anyone, the gestures of the city touched him. Hades had long since ordered Thanatos and Hermes to deliver any shades from the city directly to Charon for free passage and return their money to their families in some secret way. "Sacrifical cow sufficient, monetary tributes exceed expectations, as reward, asking Athena to provide extra protection for one year from roving warlords in exchange for twenty percent of excess tributes." He saved the spread sheet and sent it over to finance. 

His mind wandered to his mental list, at how it irked him to no end that the anonymous bastard had avoided revealing any identifiers. He hadn't just used a burner phone, Hades had had Hecate check. It was sent from an Olympus search Voice app that had been created with an email made the same day and promptly deleted. The phone was discovered smashed in a garden on the outskirts of Olympus University. "Who are you? What made you pick her?" He had to turn his self-deprecation elsewhere before it became liquor infused self-flagellation.

He grabbed a pen, ashing his cigar, and taking another long draw.

**Men Allowed Within Shouting Distance of Artemis' House**   
**Hermes  
Apollo  
Eros (????)  
Ares (if a fight is on, but he just came back)  
Persephone's classmates (after the eyeball, I doubt any of theme are stupid enough)**

"Eros is her friend and a love god. Rape and abuse are opposites so no" Haded crossed him out. "Hermes...." He took another drag and blew it out with a snort. "Nope, she dotes on him as much as Cerberus." He snuffed his cigar as he crossed the two off. He was about to look back when the door creaked.

"Aidoneous?" Persephone's voice was hesitant, and Hades slipped his sheet onto his keyboard and closed the laptop before looking up. His heart sang at his name On her lips. It was he was sure, his siren song. Am I interrupting?" He finally took her in, and his heart stopped. She was in one of his pull over sweaters, which hung almost to her knees over her pajamas pants, and had the sleeves pushed up. Her hair was to her chin now, hanging in soft waves, and over her feet were his slippers, looking like snow shoes. "It's cold, and all the pajamas are thin."

"I like this look." Hades offered her a soft smile, unsure of what she needed at that moment. That face on any other woman, he would have thought meant make love to me until I forget my name and why I was crying. On her, he knew it did not, yet at least. "Did needed something from me?" She gave a little nod. "Do you want me to come to you?" She shook her head and fiddled with the sleeves. "Tell me-" Suddenly his slippers were abandoned snd he had his sweet flower in his arms and on his lap. "Well, hello." He curled his arms around her let his forehead rest against hers. 

"You didn't do anything, Aidoneus. Please don't blame yourself because I'm broken. I ran because I'm ashamed, because I'm ugly and broken, and if you saw-"

"I saw," Hades had to end her ramble there, as she pulled his sweater up over her mouth and nose, looking guilty. _I'll never forgive him for making you feel this way._ "and Kore, you aren't broken or ugly. Fates, babygirl, talk to me. Tell me why you think you're broken? What makes you so ashamed? I thought we worked through this." He eased the collar of the sweater down and brought her fingers to his shoulders. "Do I need to use my personal, any time, any place question?" He teased, hoping to earn himself a smile. She shook her head, before sliding her fingers down. He felt her thumbs graze the seam of his robes, bumping over the minute amount of scarred skin exposed. The sensation was nearly combustible in his spine.

"My fertility powers.... they're toxic now. How can I help mortals, if my blossoms are poison or wilted." Hades recalled the blue flowers and white clusters. In his chase of her, he hadn't paid attention. _By the stars, those were aconite and hemlock_ Persephone tucked her hair back, and Hades grabbed her hips as she simultaneously straddled his lap and folded her legs to frame his thighs. "The day at the hospital, the blooming park, and the raining petals. I saw you in your primal form, and I got really hot and my throat was dry. I... well... my curves blossomed." She covered his eyes with her hands, and Hades felt his lips twitch.

_She saw my primal form and blossomed? Mmmm, I knew she had something to do with it. Damn Hestia for being there._ He let his thumbs draw soothing circles over the sweater, biting his tongue to keep from calling her on her fib. "Tonight, when you brought up." She gave a little, embarrassed squeak and wriggled in his lap. Hades had to grind his jaw at the friction, and was thankful for her hands over his eyes so she could miss them almost roll back. "Spankings. I, felt that way again. B-b-but, I, Hades, I don't understand how I can feel that after what he did to me." Hades drew a breath, contemplating the horrible joke the Fates had deemed fit to start his relationship with his queen. 

"I'm not sure how fertility powers work, Sweetpea. That's the opposite spectrum for me, but I imagine they function like all powers." Persephone didn't resist when Hades took her wrists and pulled her fingers down. "When you see someone you're attracted to use theirs in a way that appeals to you, you become aroused." Persephone felt like an idiot as Hades pressed a feather light kiss to her knuckles. Though she'd snuck romance novels on trips to the village, her Mama had never gone beyond the anatomy and biology of reproduction. "The effects become easier to control as you get older. It took me almost a hundred years to stop causing diamonds and rubies to come shooting out of walls every time I.... never-mind." She bit back a manic giggle as he canted his head and fixed her with that irresistible stare. "Now, as for you going from nubile meadow to garden of death, I can only imagine it's because you're feeling dead inside." 

"Or my shade ability-"

"No, Sweetness, I'm sorry. It's been proven that one power will not negate another. It is impossible." Hades gave her hips as gentle squeeze, as she met his gaze again. The sensation soothed her, frounding her to the moment. "If you won't tell me, you need to tell someone. As an expert of bottling up emotions in hopes that nobody will notice your internal screaming, don't. I cause localized earthquakes. You could cause the entire ecosystem of the mortal realm to wither away. My therapist will answer if I call. Do you want me to." 

Persephone heaved a sigh and slid her hands back up to curl around his neck and rest against the short hairs at the nape. "No." Hades' eyes flashed scarlet, and she finally realized what it meant. "I'm not ready." She didn't want to talk anymore. She wanted to sleep, to forget for a while, and the only way she could do that is have him there. "Come to bed. It's so empty without you." She watched his gaze flick to his laptop, and Persephone knew work would win out. He'd already taken two days off with her. He was probably swamped.

"Sweetness, I'm working on a very important project. I'll come to bed when I've worked out this solution, I'll be right there."

"Aidoneus, please." Persephone watched as his eyes blew wide, dark pupils dilating as his heart skipped against his ribs and her chest. _Is that how I look when he calls me Kore in that low, gravel tone?_ Her mind flashed with pink and red at the power she held over him. "You like when I say your name...." She slipped forward, drowning in the scarlet pools that glowed across her face. His breath broke over her lips and nose, cigar smoke and a wood fire in winter. 

"I do, and I would very much like to kiss you every time you do." His eyes were half closed, snd Her heart began a sprint in her chest. That regal nose grazed a path along hers, and Persephone found it difficult to do more than tilt her head and breathe. "Kore, may I kiss you?" 

"Yes, Aidoneus." She slipped her fingers up into his hair as their lips met. 

Fireworks exploded behind her eyes as his hands slid across her back and up to her hair simultaneously. His large mouth was powerful, but infinitely tender as he broke the soft press to capture her lower lip in a sweet caress. "Mmmm." Persephone leaned into him, as she mimicked his oral embrace, but caught his chin instead. "Sugar snaps." Her cheeks burned, but Hades' chuckle only followed by him tilting her head just a bit more and slipping his lower lip into her parted ones. 

Emboldened by his silent advice, Persephone closed her mind to all but his taste, his touch and his smell. That warm power low in her belly began to unfurl again, a limitless dragon waking from slumber. Instincts she didn't know she had burst into her movements, and she found herself slipping her tongue into his parted lips to beckon his into a chase. They danced, parting with breathy hums of assent, before swirling back together in a crescendo of warm, glistening, slips of satin and silk. Suddenly she found her face in his hands as Hades pulled away with a moan. 

"Was that okay?" She gasped, trying to remember how to open her eyes. Realizing she'd been scraping her nails along his scalp and sliding a hand into his robe, she bit her lip and pulled her hands away. "Sorry."

"Okay? Little Goddess, I've never felt like this from just a kiss." Hades swallowed hard as he eased her from his lap and willed his body into submission. _If this is what love feels like, how do people abuse it?_ Persephone swayed slowly, and he watched as she bit her pouty, succulent, lower lips into her mouth with a hum. "I'm the luckiest man in any realm." He breathed, before standing and taking her hands in his. "Which bed?" 

"Yours." 

Hades made to lift her, but Persephone pulled away. A dusting of wilted petals coated the floor and his desk, but he ignored them. His attention was glued to the way his sweater shifted along her curves as she walked out the door. Snapping a finger, he felt one of the cleaning shades materialize behind him. "Clean this up." Then he gave chase, missing the cascade tiny diamonds burst out of the wall.


	9. Chapter 9

_Kore sighed in frustration as she patted the soil tightly over the rose bush she'd spirited away from a mortal's garden in the village beyond the mountain. "Now, there. This soil is perfect for you. I had to barter my favorite brooch with Hephaestus for the smoothest trowel to not cut your roots, and Hermes stole me the richest silt from the stables of the Underworld. No god's or goddess' horses eat as richly as The Unseen One's mounts. See how perfect this loam is for you." She wiped her palms on her skirts, though Mama had frequently told her not to._

_The white blossoms began to unfurl, and Kore felt her body relax. "See, I knew you could do it." She reached out to caress the petals, longing to smell their fragrance, but the warm soil beneath her knees turned sticky and wet. She sank half an inch down, as mud splashed up onto her face and arms. "No! No! Not again!" The bloom in her hand wilted, as aconite sprouted in its place. "No! Stop! What is wrong? I want my flowers back! I want my garden!" The clouds over head began to part, and Kore felt her skin and eyes begin to burn. She scrambled to her feet, running for the green house, pleading for the high trees to have been protected from the flood._

_"Little bean, why are you running?" A woman's voice called, though it was too high, too young to be Mama's. "Little bean, you know the green house is ruined. We've been over this." It sighed in disappointment. Kore tumbled to the mud, crying as she saw her greenhouse was shattered and filled with storm debris and fetid plants._

_"He's going to burn me! Please! Please! I don't want to see him!" She covered her face from the shafts of light coming down like arrows. "Who are you?! Where are you?!"_

_"The cave in the mountains, you know the one. Find me there. I can protect you." The voice called, and Kore sprinted to the treeline. Mama had always forbade her from entering the mountain forest without her nymphs, but it was too late. They were gone. She hadn't seen anyone in the garden for weeks. The monster behind the clouds had burned them all too._

_Kore knew where the cave was, although she had never been permitted to be anywhere near it before. Her nymphs said the cave was full of monsters, while the mortal villagers said it was a gate way to Tartarus. She stumbled through petrified trees until she found the cave's gaping maw. "Come inside, Little Bean. I'll keep you safe. Don't linger, or he'll find you."She dove into the cave, as a shaft of light stabbed into where she had stood, burning the ground and turning the mud purple._

_Kore blinked as a soft, magenta glow suffused the rough hewn chamber. "Where are you?" She spun around, trying to make sense of the echo and sconces of pinkish lights._

_"Down here, Little Bean." An archway formed before Kore, framed on the right by a pomegranate tree and on the left by a cypress. Their branches melded to make a three headed dog with dripping fangs and glowing eyes. Kore knew those symbols, and she knew at the base of the stairs lay the Underworld. Mama had forbidden her from ever setting foot there. "Come now, don't be scared. Find me, and the monster will never burn you again." The woman beckoned._

_Broken, harsh music came from the mouth of the cave, and Kore flew through the archway, hovering down the stairs, only to find herself in a sprawling antechamber. Around her, more sconces shaped like drinking horns flickered to life, their flames alternating between pale blue a toxic magenta. Ahead of her sat two thrones, one was empty but the other held a hulking figure half obscured by shadows._

_His blue legs were bare where his black chiton ended, one curled under his throne, and the other extended, firmly planted on a metal grating covering a pit. His fingers, tipped with nails of diamond, drummed on his throne, but his face was covered. Above the shadows an obsidian and beryl crown gleamed with authority. "The Unseen One." She breathed. There was no mistaking his presence._

_"Isn't he beautiful?" The woman whispered in her ear, her voice like fermented honey and the most addictive of nectar. "My Aidoneus, you want him. You know you do, little Kore."_

_"But Mama said if I ever saw him, he'd punish me!" But why? Why would he punish her? She had never even met him. "He can't see me! He'll be angry!" There was something there, in her memory, a new temple in ruins, maidens sobbing, blood... so much blood._

_"Mama lied. Mama didn't want you to come here, to see him, because she knew you'd remember me!" Gloved fingers came around her throat, turning Kore's head. The woman stood before her, imposing, beautiful, glowing translucent black and red and magenta. Her face was obscured by a veil, pinned with a diamond comb into her fuchsia hair. It cascaded down her heaving breasts, to the black gown. Her biceps were bare, and as pink as Kore's own flesh. "She made you forget, but now you're here. Stop resisting me! Say my name, Kore. Say my name and let me taste vengeance!"_

_"I don't know it." Tears stung her eyes, as her skin and mind burned. "I don't know who you are." Masculine, blue hands came around her shoulder, as hot breath tickled her ear. The diamond nailed fingers gripped the veil, lifting it up to reveal glistening pink lips curled back to reveal bat like fangs. "I don't know who you are."_

_"Persephone." King Aidoneus Hades' voice was like a tempting song in her ear. Kore knew it was him though she'd never heard him speak, and the fear of the woman dissipated. "Persephone, Little Goddess."_

_"Stop resisting, me Little Bean! Accept our truth. Embrace who we are, and your garden will bloom again." The sultry pink lips smirked in a predatory truth. The veil lifted higher, exposing smoothly round cheeks. "Together, we can make the monster behind the clouds pay for what he did."_

_"Persephone," The Unseen One's lips brushed her cheek as dark lashes were revealed. "Kore, Sweetheart wake up."_

Persephone gasped as she shot up. Hades was sitting on the bed, holding a tray with breakfast on it. He smiled at her softly. "Fates, I was beginning to wonder if Hypnos had slipped in and touched you last night. I've been trying to wake you up for half an hour." 

"I was stuck in a dream." She rubbed her eyes, as she recalled the way he'd looked on his dream throne, his arms around her neck, lips on her cheek. "Hades, do you have an entrance to the mortal realm near Mama's estate?" 

"Yes, a cave in the mountain that separates her from the village. It's where Thanatos and Hermes deliver all Sicilian souls. Why?" Hades felt his stomach clench as she rubbed her face and shook her head. "D-d-do you want to go go home?" He looked down at the tray, though logic told him even if she did she'd come back. She'd always come back.

"No, no... it's just. I saw it in my dream. I think I stumbled into it once, but the nymphs rushed me out." She yawned widely, and he breathed out a sigh of relief as she pointed to the tray. "You cooked for me, again?" He surrendered her breakfast of a spinach and mushroom quiche he'd spent the morning making. 

While he slept better than ever with her in his arms, their tender, languid kissing in his darkened room before they slept had given him vivid dreams, and they were the kind that had him slipping in the shower three hours before she woke up. Hades hadn't wanted her to feel pressured into more. Chuckling at her happy hum, as she popped a forkful in her pert mouth, he stood and strode over to pick up his tie. "I'm sorry, Sweetness, but I have to go to work today." He was loathed to leave her behind, but Hecate had threatened to drag him in by his ears if he didn't show. "Today is a judging day."

"I know. Do I have to stay inside?" Hades looked back as he knotted his tie to admire how adorably ruffled she looked. _I dont think I'll ever get over how stunning she is. I want to feel like this forever._ "Like, I don't want to go to the city, but maybe I can take the dogs into the orchard." 

"Sweetheart, of course you can." Hades smoothed his collar before walking over to his dresser to retrieve the items under his suit coat. Holding them carefully, he carried them to the bed and settled down again. Persephone's skin was nearly flawless again, with only a little. "I'm not holding you prisoner. Just make sure you dress warm." He set his suit coat aside to reveal her items. "We know whoever hurt you probably knows I have you, and you won't tell me who. So, I can't exactly put a blanket ban on all male Olympians." He held up the first item, watching her eyes blow wide. "That being said, if anyone comes to the house, and you don't want to be seen, put this on." 

"Hades, that's your helm! You trust me to-"

"Only Athena has ever worn this apart from me. I want you to feel safe. Nobody, not even me, can see you if you wear this." He set it aside and opened the laptop she'd pretended to shop on. "I downloaded a texting and video chat app, and saved mine and Hecate's numbers. If you need anything, and I mean anything, you let one of us know. Otherwise, make yourself at home. No room is off limits." 

He growled as his phone blared Hecate's ringtone, and set the laptop aside. It hurt to leave her alone, especially when it was obvious there was more to her dream than a side door to his realm. "If you don't want to cook. I have a list of menus in my study that have open tabs. Order whatever your pretty heart desires, Little Goddess." 

He pushed himself up, doing his best to ease out of the softer side she elicited from him, only to freeze when she said. "Your Majesty, I believe you're forgetting something." His precious girl had tilted her chin up, eyes glittering, and he smirked in response. 

"My apologies, Sweetness." He dipped down, cupping the back of her head to taste her lips. The were flavored with the sweet cherry juice she'd been drinking, and he moaned in appreciation when her teeth nipped his lip. The three words nearly tumbled from his lips, but he held them back. She wasn't ready. 

"Have a good day, Aidoneus." Her fingers slid along hid lapels as she captured his upper lip with a gentle pull. _I'm going to crawl back in this bed if we don't stop. Work can get fucked._ "Hurry back."

"I'll text you all day." He wrenched himself away with an effort, adoring the way her eyes shone as she recovered her tray. "Finish resting up, Little Goddess." Hades grabbed his phone, which had begun ringing again, and his briefcase. With a final look back, as a grape collided with his head, he found Persephone innocently nibbling a strawberry. 

"Hades." He snapped his fingers at Cerberus, who was trying to sneak very unsuccessfully, back into the bedroom. The spoiled brat shot him a dirty look before loping past him. 

"It's me. Listen, I've got the pressrunning with the nightmare story, but now Charon is filing a complaint that we processed the shades in without them paying the ferry toll." Hecate sounded like she was ready to tell Charon where to put his punt. Hades tossed his briefcase in the passenger seat and slid in. "Which is causing a back up on the beach. What do you want me to tel him?"

"Tell him if he goes back right now, I won't suspend him without pay and toss him in a cell for five hundred years." He ordered, backing out of the drive and into the carpool lane. Nobody was going to pull him over. "I'll be there in ten. Also, schedule our lunches together. I need to talk to you about Persephone." 

Back at the sprawling mansion, Persephone carried her tray down to the kitchen, along with the Helm of Darkness and the laptop. "If Goddesses could gain weight, I'd be in trouble. Where did he learn to cook?" She was so full, and for the first time in days she felt at ease, although confused by the feeling and her dream.

The night before had been so wonderful. Hades had followed her to bed, and Persephone hadn't been entirely certain of what she wanted when she'd asked him to join her. Her uncertainty faded as he'd shed his robe and joined her. There had been kissing, but to say just kissing was an understatement. Though their hands never ventured anywhere besides necks, faces, hair, and arms, she'd never felt so touched. 

Though they'd started off side by side, she'd swiftly found herself sprawled across his chest, then halfway reclined against pillows herself, back on their side. It had been a dance she'd never learned the steps to, but once she was in the song knew every motion perfectly. Persephone had known the moment his lips met hers that she held the control, though he took the lead and often put himself in the dominant positions. There had been no doubt, no fear in her mind that if she said 'no' he would ceased touching her completely and trying to find out what he could do for her. 

_Is this what love feels like?_ She contemplated texting Eros on the app Hades told her about, but she wasn't quite ready. If he came, Hades may guess who was her monster. "I want to tell him, but I don't want him to lose control." She dried her hands as Mushroom came pattering in, Fudge following behind. "Where's the library again, babies? Huh? Can you show me?" 

_I know he has books on primal forms. If he won't tell me, then I'll find it myself._ Picking up the laptop and helm, she wandered through the house. It was almost as if her heart had remembered her hungover expedition the last time, because she found herself in the library almost immediately. She chose window seat overlooking the orchard that was beside one of the four fireplaces. Snow had begun to fall, and as if sensing her chill, the fireplace flickered with blue flames, warming the area. _I feel at home here, more than Olympus ever has._ She mused, plugging the laptop into a nearby outlet and opening it up. 

"If I were a book on primal forms, where would I be." She murmured before diving into the shelves. She'd made it past the first level and was heading to the rolling ladder when Cordon Bleu started going crazy across the house. 

Instantly, Fudge and Mushroom began growling and tore through the room. "Stop barking me you little mutts! You know who I am." A woman's voice shrieked, and Persephone felt her stomach drop. She knew that voice. _What the Fates is Minthe doing here?_ Deep inside of her, Persephone felt protective anger begin to bubble. She didn't even bother with the Helm, as she followed the sound of angry pups.

"Move! Move! Just need to go to his room." Persephone prowled toward the voice, rounding a corner to find the nymph batting at her babies with a freshly manicured hand. "Stop it! What is the matter with you?"

"You're not welcome here." Persephone crossed her arms, as she stared Minthe down. "And my babies know it." She held her chin high, refusing to let the height difference allow the woman to look down on her. "Babies, Mommy's got this." She snapped her fingers, as the pack shrunk back with growls, slinking behind her to fade into the hall. All but Cordon Bleu, that was, who chose to lunge forward and bite Minthe on the ankle, breaking her anklet and running off with it. 

"The fuck?! How are you here?!"

"Why does it look like I'm here?" Persephone knew she was implying a lie, as she gestured to his jumper over her pajamas, but she was done with Minthe. The woman had hurt Hades, had embarrassed him, shamed him, and used him. She knew he would never seek revenge against Minthe, because some part of him cared. Hades had never let himself cheat on the woman, but she had used him and abused him. 

"That's not what I mean you little pink slut! I mean, how are you here? Thetis said-" 

"Honestly I don't give a sweet fuck all what your home wrecker friend said." Persephone couldn't deny the anger, the rage that was flooding her veins. She was done being s good girl, a polite girl, a virtuous maiden to be told what to do. This was her home now, and Minthe had come in uninvited. _Yes, this.... I know this feeling. Hades won't make her pay, but someone needs to._ That fermented honey and addictive nectar voice flooded her mind, and she felt her body shift. "You hit Hades. You put your hands on him!" She felt the vines begin to unfurl, and leaves tickled her barefeet as she prowled forward. "You told him lies. You played on his insecurities to make him fee like he was nothing but a broken soul meant for pain!" 

"You think you can fight me?" Minthe sneered, as she stepped forward. "You skanky village brat. You don't have the balls." She lunged, and it was to Persephone as if time slowed. She stepped calmly aside, flicked a finger, and sent vines twisting around the nymphs flawless, elegant legs and arms, yanking her to the floor. "Let me up you bitch! Fight me like a woman!"

"Hmmm, I don't think I will." Persephone knelt beside the struggling form and trailed a finger along the nymphs red cheek as she twirled her other index finger to cover her mouth with vines. She'd never been so close to Minthe before, and she hummed as her nail, which had grown sharp and pointed, like a reddish black, diamond tipped thorn drew pale blue blood. "See, I was nice to you, always so nice. I never told Aidoneous how you sent me to Tartarus. I never let myself kiss him or touch him. I told him that we had to stop flirting because it would hurt you. Yet, you have always been cruel to me."

Persephone lifted her bloody nail to her nose, intrigued by the sweet scent to it, how it smelled crisp like the air in the Underworld, but almost sweet and spicy. "Hmmm you smell good. I never noticed." Curious, she popped the nail into her mouth, humming as the blood chilled her tongue with a sweet burn. "Cold, yet spicy and sweet, like both of your personalities I suppose." 

Minthe struggled and gave muffled screams, but Persephone found she held no sympathy for her. What little she had felt was gone, and her crimes needed justice no courts could or would ever give. "Hades isn't a piece of shit. He is sweet, kind, brave and just. Yea, sometimes he's cruel, but cruelty is something all we gods struggle with. You will never use him or cut him down anymore. From now on, you will only bring pleasant things. Yes..." The idea blossoming to life pleased her to no end and Persephone felt a manic giggle burst free. "Oh, Yes! Now hold very very still. I don't want this to hurt." 

Holding Minthe's panicked gaze, Persephone gripped her throat in one hand and pressed her other palm to the nymph's chest, and she felt coolness of freshly tilled soil as she closed her mind. The image in her mind was slowly focusing, and Persephone laughed as the addictive, too sweet voice in her mind whispered _No, she doesn't deserve flowers._ Then, with the sound of a thousand fresh shoots unfurling the nymph disappeared, and where she lay was a small plant. 

"Oh! You're so cute!" She scooped it tenderly into her hand and hummed as the leaves released the same scent as the nymph had. "Minthe.... hmmm mint! Minty fresh!" Persephone skipped through to the kitchen to grab a small bowl and nestle the newly born plant inside, and then she stepped out the back door to scoop up soil from the edge of the play yard. "This will have to do until I can get you a proper herb box. Hmmm, I wonder." She popped a leaf off and stuck it in her mouth. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect! I bet this will go well with one of Hebe's vodka drinks." 

Across the city in Tower, Hades snuffed his cigar before tossing his suit coat aside. Hecate had been busy when he arrived, dealing with an appointment the temporary PA had forgotten to pencil in. He'd taken the time to do a webcam conference with The Egyptian Pantheon about some Greek souls that had been slain in their region, and how Anubis had been unable to judge fairly. That had always been fun to discuss, although he was slightly envious of his friend across the sea. Anubis was much better accepted by his family and fellow gods. That meant he and Hecate would to make their conversation about some things for Persephone before he descended to his throne room. 

Yanking his tie loose, he stepped behind the wardrobe door as Hecate came in. "Lock it and close the blinds please." He called, pulling his formal, black chiton from a hanger and replacing it with his shirt. "I need you to set some things up for me sometime today or tomorrow. It's urgent, but not too much so." 

"You owe me a raise." She snorted, as a pen flew over the wardrobe and bounced off his head. "I'm assuming it's about the small, pink, future queen." 

"Damn fucking straight." Hades preened as he hung his pants up too. "So, after the rape, she went to a free clinic. Honestly, Hecate, I don't think she's seen a proper gynecologist in her life. Like, Demeter's a good mother, but you know she sheltered her." 

"You have no fucking clue, Boss." Hecate sounded like this was not the first time she'd wanted to say that. "So you want me to arrange an appointment or home visit." 

"It's up to Persephone." Hade's shrugged on his Chiton, folding it blindly as he toed off his socks. "As of this morning, she still doesn't want anyone but us to know where she is. So that means I need you to see if she wants have a fake identity, so she's not confined to the house." 

"By fake identity, you mean you want me to enchant something to change her appearance." Hades stepped around, as he scooped his sandals from a nearby shelf. "I can do that. So, I'm guessing she still hasn't given a name up." 

"No, but I'm looking into it on my own. I eliminated Eros and Hermes. So that leaves Apollo, Ares, or someone from her class." Hades gritted his teeth when his phone blared out Zeus' ringtone just as Hades sat to tie hid sandals. "Oh, fuck off asshole. I'm busy. Hecate, if you want to come over for dinner and talk with her about it, that works too. I know I've been-"

"Someone you care about almost died. She summoned you to her aid, Hades. I can be mad all I want about cutting the slack, but even I can't fault you for that." She shook her black tresses back and smoothed her business coat. He flashed her a grateful smile. "Like I said, give me a raise." 

"You already make more than anyone else in my company." He snorted, but she was right. Hades finally had something to take his work addiction away, which meant she would be facing more hours. "Twenty percent, and an extra week of paid vacation on my tab." He couldn't help but chuckle. Everything was just going to perfect. _This day needs to hurry. I miss her already. I need my queen's hand in mine._

"Still sharing a room I take it?" Hecate queried, as she began typing on her tablet. "Nevermind, I don't need to know details. So, the scroll of names is on its way down. The shades from the incident were boosted to the front, so they can be reassigned quicker. We just-" 

Zeus' ringtone burst to life in the room again. Hades prowled over and pressed answer. "I'm on my way down to judgement. What?" 

"I'm assembling the Pantheon. Get here, now!"

Hades felt his chest tighten as he realized someone had finally noticed Persephone's absence enough to report it. His heart ached, as he realized it had only taken three days. "Fuck off, I have my own Kingdom to run. You don't rule me." _Better start lying like you've never lied before_

"Persephone's been kidnapped."

"What?!" Hades roared, making sure to let his voice cause a quake enough that Zeus would know. "Who! Who fucking has her? I swear to Gaia I will make them." 

"Get here, now, before Apollo and Poseidon cause a damn hurricane!" The call dropped, and Hades sneered at the phone. 

"Someone finally noticed. Good thing for your dick that Demeter is visiting her friends on the other side of the Atlantic until next month, and they don't have mobile service." Hecate waved her pen. "I'll push judgment out til tomorrow, remember our story! We were summoned by a father to spare his only son's life." 

"Be back late." Hades stepped through the Ether and let is Crown materialize on his brow. _Let's play find the dead god._


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tiny bit of almost smut

When Hades arrived, the Pantheon arena was in Chaos. Ares was holding Hera in a bear hug, as she screamed, kicked, and hurled curses at someone who was blocked by Poseidon's almost primal form. Artemis was sitting on Eros, knees on his outspread wings, pushing his face into the carved stone, as he flushed a dangerous red from head to foot. His bow was in his fingers of one hand, and an arrow was in the other. His cries of accusation were muffled by his feathers. 

Hermes was between Aphrodite and Hestia, who were clawing him as they lunged for each other, slinging insults that were entirely too inappropriate for Hebe's ears, as the little girl stirred a gin and tonic on Hera's throne. Hephaestus was leaning against Zeus' throne, repairing what looked Ares' spear that had been snapped in half. Beside him, Amphitrite was standing with Athena, and together they were screaming for order. _They're sure acting like this is life or death, but none of them even noticed until today she was gone?! Who is my Queen's secret monster?!_ His bident came to his palm at a thought.

"Shut the fuck up!" Hades bellowed, slamming the staff of his weapon on the ground. He felt the arena tremble beneath him, as the cacophony died down. "Now someone tell me who took Persephone, so I can feed them to my dogs!" He strode forward, to Athena and Amphitrite, as they seemed the only one with any lick of sense. 

"You did! You took her you fucking letcher!" An arrow pierced the air, and Hades blocked it with his bident, sending it spiraling towards Hephaestus who caught it and made a use gesture. The arena fell eerily silent.

Amphitrite finally came down and was pushing Poseidon away from Zeus, who had been blocking his favorite son from his brother's wrath, but the green god gave a shout of rage and set her aside delicately before lunging. "Nephew or not, I'll fucking drown you!" 

"Leave him alone!" Zeus roared, diving in the way of the wave Poseidon had shot out of his trident. 

"It was you, you fucking pervert!" Eros raged, drawing an arrow aimed for sun god, before Artemis jumped in front of him. "He isn't worth protecting! He's just like his fucking father!" 

"I will throw you all in the Styx!" Hades roared, as Athena grabbed his arm in an attempt to keep him from lunging into the foray. He let her, even as he stomped his bident again. "If you self-righteous asstards don't calm the fuck down and tell me what the hell happened!" He felt his gaze freeze on Apollo, as certain memories began to resurface. "Things will get very, very, messy." He hadn't even realized he was nose to nose with his most loathed nephew until a small hand closed around his pinky finger. 

"Uncle Hades, why does Bubba think you'd hurt Persephone?" Hebe's tiny voice broke through the tension, and Hades found himself sinking down to scoop her onto his hip. "Mama told Daddy you'd probably sell you throne to make her happy, but you don't have the balls to admit it." _All her mother's wisdom and none of her bitterness. She is so much like Bunny was before Zeus broke her heart._

"I dunno, Mimosa. I think we should be asking him though." He stood up, as Ares released Hera to come get her youngest. No sooner did the queen have Hebe in her arms, than she literally spat in Apollo's face. 

"Bastard!" She hissed, moving to stand beside Poseidon, Amphitrite, Aphrodite, and Eros. Hades had no doubt in that moment that Hera had sensed something or even had a vision. Yet, her veiled accusation clearly meant it wasn't clear who the perpetrator was, just that she had suspicions.

"Seems to me there are sides being drawn, Uncle." Athena's wise voice drew his attention from his brother's queen. Then his niece moved away, leaving him alone, 

Apollo and Dionysus, were standing together on his left, glowering at the others. Hera, Eros, Aphrodite, Amphitrite, Poseidon, Ares, and Hephaestus were on his right, looking murderous. Artemis, Athena, Hermes, and Hestia were between the groups, but to Hades' surprise, closer to Hera's side. Zeus stood stalwart between Artemis' group and Apollo's. 

"How the fuck does nobody know how a nineteen year old innocent goddess under the protection of Olympus went missing?" Hades' didn't need to feign anger now. Persephone had been permitted to come only if those Demeter trusted kept her safe. Somehow, all of these people had failed her. All it seemed, except Eros who hadn't stopped aiming a black arrow of cursed affection at Apollo. "Anybody? Huh? Nobody has shit to say now?" He rounded on Artemis, who was looking between Eros and Apollo as if confused by who to listen to. "How long has she been missing. You're her roommate."

"I-I-I don't know. I was out in the mortal realm for three days. It's a new moon, I needed to punish some assholes who were after my prize stags." Hades growled, remembering how Artemis had been in his own home, lecturing him on Persephone, while his sweet flower had been being beaten and almost raped in Artemis' house. "I came home three hours ago, and there was blood on the floor and stairs, along with chunks of her hair, and Persephone's room looked like Athena and Ares had gotten into a fist fight, except there were burnt glowers and vines everywhere. Her pajama pants and underwear were ripped and tossed aside." 

"And you, Eros." He snapped his head to Eros who lowered his bow, face crumbling in guilt and despair. "You're her best friend. You didn't notice she was missing?"

"I did! I tried calling her and messaging her. I knew she had to study for midterms, and she had work. I just thought maybe she was busy." A tear rolled down his cheek, and Hades could see the guilt as the pink god's wings drooped before shimmering from existence. A nymph ran forward from behind Persephone, taking his bow and wrapping him in a hug.

"Who saw her last? Huh? Who in this arena saw Persephone last?" He zeroed in on Artemis as she pointed at her twin. 

"Before we. came to visit you, I left Apollo and Persephone in my apartment eating crepes, three mornings ago." Hades clenched his fists, as Zeus stepped forward, obviously irked that Hades was taking control of his Pantheon. "This is my neighbor Chara." Artemis gestured to a nymph who was lingering in the corner behind a pillar. "She's our only witness." 

"I'm surprised you aren't blaming me." Hades arched a brow his niece, as Zeus began barking orders for everyone to take their seats. 

"I did, until Chara gave me a time line. How can I blame you, when I'm your fucking alibi?!" Artemis hissed, looking none to pleased. She spun on her heel, snd Hades snorted before turning to his throne that sat to the west of the Pantheon Arena. Poseidon and Amphitrite had settled into theirs, in the east, and Zeus and Hera were at the head of the arena to the north. The rest of the gods and goddesses had seated themselves in the three groups they'd been in before, with Dionysus being the only one supporting Apollo. 

Zeus banged his fist on his throne arm. "Chara, the Pantheon summons you as witness, come forward!" Hades watched as a nymph the color of the night sky scurried forward, wringing her hands. "Artemis says you have information." _I know she didn't see me, so how can she be witness to anything._ The nymph looked oddly familiar, though he couldn't place where from. 

"Three mornings ago, I was getting home from my shift at work." Her black cheeks were back lit with flickers of aquamarine and pale green, like light piercing a forest at night. "I'm a dancer at Dionysus Cabaret." She flashed the, surprisingly not drunk, god a timid smile. _Oh right, That's why she's familiar._ "I saw Lord Apollo and Lord Hermes arrive about the same time I did." Hades felt his ichor run cold, as Apollo leaned back in his seat, arms spread on the bench behind him, those yellow eyes glued to Hades.

"How early before dawn was it?" Hera cut in, and Hades leaned forward, dialing Hecate discretely before rest his phone face down on the thrown arm. 

"About two and a half hours. I remember, because Lady Artemis arrived." Hades cut his gaze over to the lavender skinned, black haired niece. She looked simultaneously murderous and devastated. There was no mistaking that she was blaming herself for Persephone's disappearance, but Hades felt no sympathy. Artemis was supposed to be her protector on Olympus, but she had left her alone for three days. "I worked out, got a shower, and started breakfast. I saw Lady Artemis and Lord Hermes leave about an hour before sunrise." She looked down, as if frightened by her next words. "I heard arguing from Lady Artemis' house shortly after." 

"What was being said?" Hades was cut off by Hera, who Zeus looked ready to strangle. "Could you make out any of it? Don't be afraid, Chara, I guarantee your safety from anyone you accuse." 

"I couldn't hear words, just shouting. I thought maybe I had missed Lady Artemis come back. She and Lord Apollo are always arguing loudly, Your Majesty." A tear rolled down her cheek, and Hades didn't need a scroll to know this tiny nymph was absolutely furious with herself for not coming forward sooner. "I didn't want to be nosey, because they're both known for chasing off interlopers with arrows. When I moved in last year, everyone in the neighborhood warned me just to let them fight it out. So I always do." 

"To be fair, so do the rest of us." Poseidon interjected. Hades shot him a scathing look. Amphitrite jabbed him in the ribs, and he cleared his throat. "Sorry, continue." 

"The arguing stopped soon after, and I saw Lord Apollo's car leave." The nymph's story was making his stomach churn. Artemis and Hermes had been at his house at that time, lecturing him on hurting Persephone. Hades loathed Apollo, he couldn't stand him, and he knew that Persephone felt uncomfortable with him. _But rape, attempted murder? Is he capable? Would he dare do that in his sister's house to her friend?_ Hades didn't want to think it of his nephew, no matter how much he hated him. "Then the sun was rising, and I heard a noise that sounded like wounded animal in agony. I didn't do anything, because Lady Artemis is always bringing home fresh kills or wild animals. It go quiet after that, so I went to sleep." 

"Then there was nothing going on at the house for three days? When Artemis returned contacted Athena about what she found." Zeus queried, and Chara gave choked sob as she shook her head. "You're dismissed. You are not to leave Olympus until you hear from myself or Queen Hera." 

"What were you arguing about, Apollo?" Eros shot to his feet as the nymph practically fled the arena. Honestly, Hades couldn't blame her. A thunderstorm was brewing over head, and a mist of salt air was stirring around the floor. His own shades were shifting restlessly, their pikes, swords, and shields banging. "Did she say no one too many times?! Is that it?" 

"I didn't touch her!" Apollo bellowed back, his eyes glowing yellow, and sunlight heat began to turn the air humid. It sizzled in the hair, causing updrafts in Poseidon's mist. "I heard her on the phone with someone saying she was going to break off her affair with Hades because Hestia and Artemis were suspicious, and she couldn't lose her scholarship. We argued over how stupid she was for getting involved with someone like him! I didn't touch her! I left for work, and she was in her bedroom crying!" 

Hades felt every eye turn to him, but before he could rise to his own defense, Artemis cut in. "It couldn't have been Hades who attacked her, because Hermes and I were at his house until just after sunrise. I came to lecture him about not breaking her heart, when he was summoned." Apollo snorted, as Artemis continued. "I know what being summoned looks and feels like, and Hades was summoned."

"I was summoned. Someone was dying before their time. I spared them." It was mostly a lie, but Hades had spent decades hiding his truth from them all. "Then I returned home, where I've been working from my home office due to an incident at work."

"You mean your girlfriend beating you in the hall!" Apollo spat, and Hades surged to his feet. "Stop fucking lying! I know you have her, old man." His lips pulled back in a smirk, and arrow pierced Apollo's cheek, spilling ichor down to his golden chiton. The black shaft stuck firmly in the stone bench behind him, and Hades saw Eros with his bow drawn, again. "What the fuck?! What was that for?!"

"You know what it was for, you bastard!"

"What are you accusing me of, feather brain?!"

"Silence!" Zeus thundered! "Lord Apollo stand accused of the abduction of Persephone Goddess of Spring. Lord Eros, do you have anything else to accuse Lord Apollo of?" Eros' mouth slammed shut. "Do you have evidence to present to implicate his guilt in her abduction?" The pink god shook his head, but his eyes met Hades', and there wss no denying the pain and truth in his pretty face. _Sweet Gaia, it's Apollo. No wonder Persephone is afraid to speak out. He's Zeus' favorite and her best friend's twin. The burns... they were sunburns! I'll fucking kill him!_

"King Hades, you stand accused of the abduction of Persephone, Goddess of Spring. Lady Artemis stands as your alibi." Zeus turned to Artemis. "Lord Hermes, do you wish to corroborate the alibi?" 

"I do." Hades couldn't take his eyes off of Apollo, who was staring him down. Apollo knew he had her, but Hades knew he couldn't claim to have witness Persephone summon him, because then he would implicate himself as her attacker. 

"Does anyone else have evidence to present to the court, before we split into search parties?" Hades bit his tongue, as he fought back the urge to heave his bident across the arena at Apollo. "The charges against King Hades are suspended unless further evidence is presented. Apollo is to report to the palace until a search of his estate is conducted. Hestia, Artemis, and Athena are to conduct searches in Persephone's known favorite places in the mortal realm. Poseidon and Amphitrite will be in charge of searching the waters." Zeus stood, his face solemn with veiled panic. 

Hades couldn't blame him. It was one thing for minor gods and goddesses to have incidents, but Persephone was a daughter of the Traitor Dynasty. An assault on her was a direct affront to them all. If zeus didn't turn her up, unharmed, and Demeter caught wind, there would be Tartarus to pay. "Hera, Hermes, and Ares are to scour Olympus. Aphrodite and Eros are to check temples. Hades-"

Hades picked up his phone, ending the call to Hecate, and waved his phone. "I was just about to put Hecate on a search party." He quickly typed.

**I'm going home after this. Be prepared for possible press conference.**

"I will reach out to the other Pantheons and make sure none of their gods or goddesses have taken her." Zeus clapped his hand in dismissal. As the Pantheon split, Hades knew he couldn't rush out. He needed to delay just a bit longer, to make it seem like he was as upset as possible. "My promise still stands!" He quaked, making them all turn to him with wide eyes. "When I find out who hurt Persephone, in any way, I will watch you suffer a thousand times more than what you did to her!" 

He slammed his bident down, and dismissing his shade armies, prepared to shift home. Eros met his gaze, and Hades knew Persephone had made him swear not to tell. _I won't tell her I know. It is her secret to reveal._

"Kore, sweetness!" Hades wasted no time calling to her, as he appeared in his own foyer. "Where are you?" He stepped forward, confused by the crunch of soil under his sandals. 

"Oh! You're home for lunch! I'm in the kitchen!" Hades exhaled in relief as he hurried forward. "Oh, well don't you look handsome." Her pink eyes lit up as they flicked over him. "You miss me so much you didn't want to change?" That succulent lip of hers was caught between her teeth, and Hades had to fight back a groan. _Does she realize how fuckable that makes her look? Okay, old man, keep it in your chiton_ "You look like you need a drink. Come here!" 

Persephone pulled away from her cooking to push Hades towards a chair. He looked like he'd been run ragged. Her poor king needed to relax. Humming, she leaned in to taste his lips, finding them hot and salty. "Oh, Hades, I missed you too." She preened in delight as his hands plunged into her hair and he pulled her forward. She rested one knee on the chair between his parted thighs, moaning her encouragement as his tongue teased hers only to disappear with a suck of her lower lip. 

"Fuck, Sweetness, aren't you worried?" His voice sounded rough, like he'd been yelling. Persephone giggled as she slipped her lips along his jaw to nip his ear. _Mine! My Aidoneous. All mine now. Nobody can have him._

"Worried about what? You put up curtains." Persephone chuckled as she pulled back so she could try to straddle him. To her utter surprise, he pushed her back. "What's wrong?" His brow was knotted as his fingers closed over her chin. "Can't I kiss you?" She ripped her chin away, offended at his rejection. "Or are you tired of me already?" She tossed her hair over her shoulder, feeling her lip pout out. 

"Sweetness, didn't you get Hecate's texts? Zeus summoned the Pantheon. They've realized your missing." 

She felt relief flood through her as he reached for her hand. "Sorry, I left the laptop in the library. I had to clean up and start lunch and dinner for you." His striking face wasn't relaxing at all. This wouldn't do. "I Would you like your drink now? Then we can talk about what was said.

"Yeeeeees." She didn't miss how he dragged the word out, or the suspicion in his eyes. _He knows I'm up to something. Honestly, I should have taken this page out of Hera's book sooner._ Humming, Persephone plucked three leaves from her new herb box. She'd found the container and lamp in a shed near the orchard, and the little bush was already flourishing. She crushed them between her fingers. "Nobody has any idea where you are. Two people are being accused." 

"Oh?" She looked back, admiring how perfect her Aidoneous looked sprawled in the chair, crown askew. "I'm assuming you were one? Who's the other?" _Who would accuse the true culprit? He's the favorite, the adored one._ She sprinkled the leaf crumbles onto the ice in the cup and poured in his sweetest whiskey, then she stirred the glass, before plucking half a stem off, and dropped it into bronze liquid. One leaf stuck to an ice cube, while the other floated lightly. 

"Apollo." Persephone felt herself shudder, as the glass nearly slipped from her grasp. "Eros nearly murdered him in the middle of court. He shot him, cut his cheek." _No! No! The monster behind the clouds can't touch me when I'm like this._

"Eros needs to keep his mouth shut." She snapped, feeling the earth beneath the floor tremble as roots shifted with her anger. "I mean. I want to know why they let you come back alone." She turned back to him, reveling in the way he finally seemed to realize the only thing she was wearing was one of his dress shirts and a pair of strappy black heels. "Here, Aidoneous. Taste this. I promise you'll like it." _He sure liked the way she tasted before._

"What's the leaves, Little Goddess?" She settled onto his knee, giddy with excitement as he took the cup. 

"Oh, I made a plant for you! See!" She waved at the herb box. "A brand new herb. It's totally safe, see!" She plucked the spring from the drink and bit a leaf off, chewing it. The sweet, chilly bite made her hum. "Smell." She blew a breath at him, and he hummed. "Smells like the air when it snows." 

"Sort of. Let's see if it tastes good here." Hades touched the drink to his lips and sipped. Persephone bit her lip, rubbing his thigh eagerly as he swirled the mouthful and hummed then he swallowed and took another long pull. "Wow, Kore, this is amazing!" He paused, chewing, before finishing the drink. "It's just... it tastes familiar. Not that I doubt your powers, baby doll, but you admitted they have been off. I think I've tasted this before. 

"One hundred percent!" Persephone crossed her arms, fixing him with a displeased pout. "I just thought that plant up for you this morning I worked really hard on transforming it for you!" It hadn't been that hard, honestly, once she stopped being the nice girl everyone always forced her to be. 

"You may have created the plant, Sweetness, but I have tasted this before." Hades voice was embarrassed, and Persephone felt a manic giggle building. She pouted her lip out further to hide it, dropping her fingers to his bare thigh. "Please don't be angry, but, Persephone, this tastes like when I... well... when Minthe and I had sex, this is how her sweat and skin tasted." 

"So.... you would say, the taste is minty fresh?" She pushed his chiton up further, ghosting her fingers over a scar on his inner thigh. Hades eyes flashed scarlet, as he caught her wrist and tugged her to her feet. "Well? Is it?" She watched his eyes zero in on the heels, the ones that he definitely hadn't bought for her, the ones that were a full size too big. 

"Persephone... why are you wearing Minthe's shoes?" She didn't resist when he picked her up and set her on the table, taking her calf in hand and tapping the black straps. "I bought these for her to make up for telling her to pick a different dress for Hebe's birthday." 

"I found them." She pointed her toe, grinning at him playfully. "In the dufflebag she left in the hall this morning." 

"Minthe was here?! Did she see you?" Persephone nodded, feeling the petals begin to flutter down as his eyes dragged over her bare legs. _He wants me. He's resisting himself so much. If I asked, he'd take me right here._ "What did she do?" His fingers were undoing the straps, but Persephone didn't resist. The shoes were hideously slutty anyways. 

"She called me all sorts of very rude names, like skank and slut. Then she had the audacity to hit at the babies!" The other shoe dropped. "I couldn't have her hurting our poor babies, like she hurt you, Aidoneous. I had to make her pay."

"So you turned her into a plant?!" Persephone let the manic giggle burst free as Hades grabbed her hips and pulled her to the edge of the table. "And gave it to me to drink." She nodded again, running her fingers up to embroidered cape where it met his chiton.

Persephone hooked a leg around his broad hip and pulled his lips down to hers. "If I'd had any sense, I'd have done it the day she sent me to Tartarus, but I was weak. I was a good girl. I played nice." She purred into his parted lips. 

"You're a dreadfully wicked little thing aren't you?" Hades' voice was like the earthquakes his rogue emotions caused, and she mewled as his fingers dug into her bare hips. "You want me to fuck you right here, after telling me you went after revenge on my ex lover without my permission?" 

"Yes. Yes!" Persephone mewled as he slid a hand into her hair and pulled her head back to expose her neck to the chilly air. _Take me! Take me hard!_ "I'm a goddess, and we don't take any fucking shit from two bit nymph gold diggers. I made sure she'll never hurt my Aidoneus again!" The heat in her veins was higher than ever before. She could feel herself blossoming as Hades' lips descended on her jugular, tongue hot but leaving a chilly path where it laved across her skin. Petals landed on her face, tumbling down as his teeth, so sharp, so feral, grazed the gap between her clavicles. "Fuck me, Aidoneus. Take me!"

"I will!" Persephone braced herself, ready, open, heart pounding, ears ringing, for the pain of him entering her, but none came. Suddenly she was curled in his lap, as he sank to the floor. He was kissing her hair and stroking her cheeks, causing the burning power in her core to falter in confusion. "I will, Kore, but not today. Not until this." His thumb brushed the apple of her cheek and came away glistening with her own tears. "And this." She stared in confusion at the handfuls of decayed petals and hemlock blossoms he'd plucked from the ground. "Are resolved. I can't do that to you." 

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" She knocked his hand aside. _No! I'm not broken anymore! I'm not! This isn't fair._ "I'm strong now! My powers are fine!" 

"Tell me his name, Kore. Tell me his name and let yourself heal." She shook her head, pushing at his chest. _No! Nobody will believe me. Eros only did because he saw! Apollo is so much more important. Zeus will protect him. I will be turned out by everyone._ "Kore, I figured it out at the assembly, but I need you to say it out loud. Say it, and let me help you take him down." Hades voice was broken in her ear, but not with rage. "Tell me, so you can start to heal. Please, please. Your pain is destroying everything that makes you good. Don't become a monster like me."

Persephone pulled back, and she was stunned to find tears flooding over his cheeks. "But you're not a monster!" She felt the power deep inside of her break as Hades pressed his forehead to hers. "I'm so scared." Without the pain, the bitterness, how could she hold onto this power, how could she fight? When she tried to hide it, she was weak. Hades kissed her cheek before bringing her knuckles to his lips. "Please don't leave me." She gasped her final fear, and her resolve broken when Hades cupped her chin and murmured.

"I couldn't leave you if I tried. I already learned that, my love." Hades watched as Persephone, who had been all red eyed, wild haired, and fangs since he arrived crumbled into her usual, sweet, soft self. He knew that side of her was there, waiting, ready to rise up when needed, just as his own was. In fact, he couldn't wait to get a taste of it again. _Dreadfully wicked, yet infinitely compassion, so fitting for my queen._

"It was." He stroked her cheeks as she hiccuped and sniffed at the same time. "It was..." Those tearfilled eyes met his, so afraid but so trusting. His anger would have to wait. "It was Apollo. It was Apollo! He did it, Hades. He raped me in my own bed, and when he tried to get me alone again I couldn't.... I tried... he was so angry he unleashed the sun on me!"

"I know... oh, my Kore, my Sweetheart. I know." Hades curled her into his chest, tossing his crown aside as he leaned against the table leg. "I'm here, and I promise he'll never touch you again. Shhhh just let it all go. Give it to me. Give me your pain. Let me hold it so you can grieve." At his words, she flung her arms around his neck and truly broke down. The smell of a sweet spring wind tickled his nose, and as he pulled his lips away from her hair, he saw a single, tiny, pink rose sprouting from behind her ear. 

"I forgot to turn on the stove." Came her muffled wail into his neck.

"Fuck lunch. This is more important." A pale blue petal landed on the tip of his nose before tumbling to her hair. _There she is. There's my little goddess. I knew Kore would find you again._


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, short chapter

"Pick up!" Persephone huffed as she dialed Eros' number for the fourth time. Absently, she picked at the bandaid on her right arm, as she made her way through the sprawling shopping mall underworld mall. "Pick up." She resisted the urge to fidget with the torch shaped necklace resting on her collarbone, avoiding looking at the walls and walls of windows. 

"You've reached Eros, leave me a message or-" _Come on, Eros. Answer._ She bit her nail, as a rshe paused to admire a stunning tie clip in a window. The thin hand bag draped over her arm seemed to hum in excitement, the thin, black debit card was calling her, but she knew she was imagining it. "You are so frustrating." She turned away, momentarily startled by her reflection. "Sugar snaps." She sighed, covering her racing heart.. 

It was disconcerting to not only be six inches taller, but also so pale she looked almost like snow, with a lean, thin, ethereal form crowned with chestnut hair over intense green eyes. Hecate's transfiguration charm had been so believable that even Hades had nearly spewed his coffee all over himself. Although, he had grudgingly admitted nobody was going to question a Lampad, the nymphs who worked under Hecate. "Okay, let's try this." 

**It's your Cinnamon Roll, please answer, call me, and refer to me as Proserpina @~ >~. **

Eyeballing the store again, she stepped inside. Hades had absolutely forbade her from returning home until she had gotten herself some new clothes, but shopping alone hadn't been fun. Not to mention, spending Hades' money made her feel awkward She approached the mens' accessories counter, resisting the habitual urge to go tiptoe to be seen clearly. Also, surprisingly, the worker didn't pass her by. He strode over, smiling broadly. "How can I help you." 

"Um, yes. There's a men's tie clip over there with a flower made of pink stones. I'd like to purchase it please." Persephone did her best not to fiddle nervously, hoping the smile she slapped on looked as luminous and beckoning as the mysterious nymphs that had often accompanied Hecate to her mother's estate. 

"Of course, of course! We also have the matching cufflinks and a boutonnière to match, would you like to see?" Persephone nodded gently, glancing down at her silent phone again. She felt nervous holding it, despite the adorable case with a puppy paw print, and the assurance from Hades that the screen was almost as hard as a diamond. The set had been a gift, as soon as they had been able to leave each other's arms. _Has it really only been three hours since I told him? It seems like it's been days._

"Here, sweet lady, what do you think?" The man's one eye lit up in his maroon face, and Persephone reached out to touch the silver and pink metal. "Purest platinum from His Majesty's royal ore banks, with only the purest of kunzite that can be mined. The only gems more pure are made by King Hades himself." 

"How much for the set?" The question came from habit, and Persephone shook herself. _My girls are the best paid nymphs outside of Hera and Amphitrite's courts. Don't ask, just swipe, and remember, do not take off this necklace except in fitting rooms._ Hecate's instruction after she'd dropped Persephone off when her doctor's appointment was done echoed in her head. "It doesn't matter. Could I have it gift wrapped please?" Persephone jumped as her phone buzzed violently in her purse, and she yanked it out. 

**< 3Hades<3: If that 1000 drachma that just pinged on my account isn't something black, silk, and clings to your legs I'll be highly disappointed. :-*  
<3Hades<3: Joking, Sweetness, just chuckling over how you went from a two drachma coffee to that. Buy whatever you want. You could probably buy the entire mall and hardly dent my account. Just enjoy being out and be safe.**

Persephone bit back a giggle herself. The laugh felt odd in her chest, like she was breaking a rule. She wasn't supposed to feel happy or giddy, but something had changed in that kitchen. Despite knowing Apollo was waiting for Hades to make a move, she felt freer than she had since she was a child. "Thank you. Have a good day!" She took the bag and her card back from the man and stepped back out into the mall. 

**It was a well spent 1000 drachma. You have a precious metal ore bank???? How is that even legal**

She hit send, as she brushed a lock of hair from her face and gazed down the row of storefronts. 

**Also, is kunzite a good stone?**

**< 3Hades<3: I'm King, so yeah it's legal. Kunzite is a lesser gem, but more recently my favorite across the spectrum. I'm sure you saw why ;-)**

**< 3Hades<3: Miss you, Sweetness. **

Persephone was about to text back when her ringtone made her jump. Eros' name flashed across the screen. Feeling her entire demeanor turn to joy, she pressed answer and lifted it to her ear. "Eros!"

"Cinnamon Roll?!"

"It's me! Oh my Gaia. I missed you."

"The fuck kinda joke is this lady?" Persephone almost dropped her purse as she remembered her voice wasn't hers anymore. "You think cause I'm a love god I won-"

"Apology donuts!" She tried not to shout, stepping into a small hallway that was labeled emergency exit. "It's me. Hi. Please don't be mad." Persephone heard Eros' exhale, and braced herself for anything. 

"Where are you? Oh, sweet Gaia. Where are you? I'll call my dad. I don't even like him that much but he can rip someone-"

"Eros, I'm at the Underworld Central Mall. I need help shopping." She covered her mouth, knowing it was a slightly cruel way to cut him off, but Persephone had no clue if he was alone. The last thing she wanted was Zeus storming down, causing a scene. She still wasn't ready to return, but having heard what a mess she had caused she had told Hades she wanted to reach out to Eros. He had encouraged her, which made it all the better.

"Per...Proserpina, if you're being held against your will-"

"Look, I'll explain, just get here. I'll send you a selfie, because I'm disguised as a lampad." Persephone pretended to be looking at the massive clock on the far wall, as day and night really had no bearing in the buried realm. "Don't tell anyone, meet me at the Food court."

"I'm on my way. Send that selfie." 

Persephone blew out her breath as the call ended and lifted the phone. Smiling, she snapped a picture and sent it to Eros. Then she stepped back out to the crowd. With they way he flew, Eros could make it to her in twenty minutes, so she headed to a booth in the food court area to secure a dozen donuts and his favorite ice coffee. "Oof, sorry." She squeaked, as her shoulder collided with an elderly, gold skinned, woman with curly hair, satyr horns, and a oversized handbag. 

"'S my fault, dear. I was trying to figure out this stupid phone. My great grandson said it has a map of the mall, but I can't find the carousel." The woman's wizened hands shook as she held put a Pomegranate smart phone. "All this newfangled technology..."

"Oh, the carousel is by the food court. I'm meeting a friend there. I can take you." Persephone was more than happy to show her the way, but the woman patted her hand and shook her head. "It's at almost the end of this part of the mall, but around the corner to the right."

"I think I'll pop in and get My grandson some candy and then find my way. He loves sweets. Thank you for being so kind, little flower." The woman patted her hand again, and Persephone smiled to herself as she made her way down through the crowd. 

Just like showing Eros had helped, confessing everything to Hades had been exactly what she needed to get herself grounded again. Although, that warm, commanding power was still resting low in her core. It wouldn't completely disappear like before, and she wasn't sure she wanted it to. It was just hard to focus, especially when Hades touched her. 

Her confessions had led to crying, not just her, but Hades had shed tears as well. Then she had apologized for the way she'd been dressed, how she'd touched him, and how she'd practically begged him to ravage her on the table. He, of course, had told here there was nothing to forgive, that her language and behavior had told him something was off. Then they'd kissed, a lot. Persephone felt her cheeks flush at the two hour old memory. She'd been straddling his lap first, then somehow she was on the floor, scattering petals, trying to pull him closer and wrap herself around him at the same time. 

Hecate's arrival had stopped their passionate reassurance, and the goddess had provided her with a cellphone, a set of identity papers, and the enchanted necklace that painlessly morphed Persephone's body. 

Hades had to return to work, so as not to raise suspicion at being home so long, and Persephone couldn't remain cooped up any longer. Since Hecate taking a newly initiated nymph to a doctor's appointment or dropping her off at the mall was completely monotonous, that had been the plan. It still felt a bit surreal, though. 

By the time she had acquired the donuts and the coffee, it was almost three. Persephone settled into a chair near one of the massive television screens of a sports bar.

"In other news, the search is still on in all four realms for young, Lady Persephone, Goddess of Spring, and heiress to the Barley Mother fortune. She was last seen in the home she shares with her friend, Princess Artemis, three mornings ago." Persephone snorted, wondering if the orange hair news anchor realized Artemis would probably turn him into a fox and sick her hounds on him for reminding her that Zeus was her father. "So far, one suspect has been named, and is being held for Questioning, but the Three Kings have forbidden all members of the Pantheon from discussing who it is. They do remind everyone to contact appropriate authorities if they have any information on the missing goddess." There was a pause, as Persephone saw the picture Eros had taken of her for Fatesbook flash on screen. She tensed, reflexively, expecting eyes to focus on her, but none did. She was about to zone the news out when the anchor added. 

"This just in King Hades has offered a reward of thirty million drachmas for anyone who provides information leading to her return." Persephone nearly choked on her coffee, as she dug her phone out again. 

**THIRTY MILLION DRACHMAS?!?!?! Are you insane?!**

She kept her phone down where nobody could see, awaiting his reply. 

**< 3Hades<3: I wanted to do a hundred million, but Hecate threw a chair at me and told me to stop flirting and get back to work. It broke a window. I have a draft now. :-(  
<3Hades<3: Have you spoke with Eros?   
<3Hades<3: Guess so, this just landed in my desk imagefile.attch**

Persephone clicked the link, and then she laughed out loud when she saw one of Eros' arrows sticking out of his mouse pad, directly between Hades' thumb and index finger. 

**So he can come for dinner? Awww, you're the best. :-* Now stop flirting with me and run your kingdom.**

Persephone looked up as a flash of pink caught her eye. She stood, waving a hand, and beamed as Eros caught sight of her. Then she felt her smile fall, as she saw he wasn't alone. That purple nymph assistant of Aphrodite's was with him, and they were holding hands. As they approached, she extended the box of donuts. "Apology donuts...." 

"I hate you so much!" He gasped, and Persephone threw her arms around his neck as he hugged her tight. Burying her face in his shoulder, she breathed in the seductive cologne and tempting sandalwood scent of his skin. "I thought Apollo killed you. I thought you were dead." His words were quiet, and Persephone kissed his cheek as she pulled back. 

"Not here." She cast her eyes at the nymph, all too aware how dangerous trusting the wrong person could be. As much as she loved Eros, Persephone wasn't decided on Aphrodite or Ares. "I told you to come alone."

"Oh." Eros reached back and pulled the nymph forward. "She's fine. No, she wonderful. She's Psyche." He beamed, and Persephone felt her heart flip as the nymph beamed adoringly up at Eros. "My Psyche. Dove, meet my Cinnamon Roll. Cinnamon Roll, meet Psyche." Persephone had to keep herself from crushing the woman in a hug. "It's a long story, but outside of the house she has to stay disguised, you know how my grandpa is with mortals on Olympus."

"I know. Oh, Eros, I want to tell you everything, but not here. I can't go home until Hecate says so. So, help me shop." She flinched as Eros took her fingers in his and held her gaze. "What? What's wrong."

"Oh my Gaia! You kissed him!" Persephone tried to cover his lips with her palm, darting a gaze round. Luckily nobody noticed, although Persephone was relieved to see the old lady by the carousel, but no grandson was in sight. She waved cheerily at Persephone. "Oh.... oh.... Baby girl. This is.... we need to sort you."

"What do you mean?" Persephone felt her stomach drop as Eros cupped her cheek, shaking hid head. "What's wrong with me?" This was why she'd needed her friend. Something was still broken inside of her, no matter what Hades said. 

"It's a conversation for private. Let's go shopping, but first answer me. Was it _him_." Eros' eyes bored into Persephone's and she swallowed hard. She nodded twice, and squeezed his fingers. "Did he-" she shook her head twice. "Then why are you so... no not here." Her phone buzzed on the table, and Eros dove for it before she could. "Do you hate shopping that much? Would you prefer I call in a seamstress?" His bright eyes lifted to smirk at her, as Persephone shifted and felt her cheeks flush. There was another buzz. "Also, don't forget to pick yourself up stuff for your showers. I don't have much room for makeup, but I can order a vanity. Miss you, Little Goddess." One perfectly formed brow raised

"So, um...." Persephone knew there was no way Eros was letting this part of the story wait. "I'm moving in with Hades, permanently." She whispered, so nobody passing by could overhear. "I know it's fast, but I..." the words caught in her throat, jumbled, confused, but she didn't have to finish them. 

"But you love him, the Unseen One." Psyche offered shyly. Persephone blinked back tears as Eros gazed down at her with the same expression Hades always wore for her. For a moment, the dream flashed back into her mind: woman in the black veil, the empty throne, the Unseen one, and pink lips over fangs. 

"Come on. We have to discuss this." Persephone knew there was no stopping Eros now, and she grudgingly exchanged the black card for her mobile. 

When Hades strode into his living room, five hours later, he saw the reason he had been called eight times for purchase verifications. Empty bags and boxes were scattered around. Judging by the abandoned, lilac jean jacket and matching hightops by the fireplace, Eros had found Persephone. 

"Hi!!!" He crooned as the pack came hurtling down he hall barking and yapping. He dropped down, ruffling their ears as the scent of a delicious steak wafted towards him. Pulling out the arrow, he strutted down the hall to the kitchen. "I believe this is yours..." He made to throw the arrow at Eros, but a breathtaking brunette woman gave a squeak and hurled herself at Eros. "Whoa! What? Why is the mortal Aphrodite disguised as a nymph in my house?!" 

"That's Psyche. Remember I told you about her." Persephone's voice came from the other side of the open fridge door. "Psyche this is Hades." Her pretty pink smile appeared, and Hades felt the stress of the last four meetings dissipate. "Wine or whiskey, sweetheart?"

"Whisky, hold the mint." He tossed his gloves onto the counter as Psyche finally peeked around Eros, who seemed to have no complaints about the leafy sprig in his drink. Honestly, Hades didn't either. In face, the more he thought about what Persephone had done, the further south his blood had flowed. 

"She really turned her into a plant?" Eros queried, as he pulled Psyche onto his lap. 

"And then fixed me a drink with it," Hades shrugged off his coat as he headed over to the oven. He made to peak inside, but small pink hands batted him away. "Psyche, Pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, but if you'll excuse me for a minute." Ignoring Eros' oncoming comment, Hades backed Persephone into the counter and cupped her cheeks. When he'd last seen her, she had looked so different. "I prefer you pink and short." He sighed, before claiming her mouth.

To his utter delight, his little goddess lifted off the floor and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her sweet tongue grazed his lips, teasing him, making his whole body tingle. There was something different in her, a change he couldn't quite place. "Sweetness, you're blooming." He hummed, as he felt flowers grow between his fingers in her hair.

"I know." She gave a giggle, and Hades pulled her back down. "Eros, and I had a chat about... some things that were blocking me. We have a lot to talk about." _It seems we do. That is definitely not a 'entertain company outfit. Those shoes...._

"So, let me get this straight. Apollo tried to kill her, but she summoned you, and she's been here for three days." Hades unglued his eyes from the glowing expanses of arms and chest that Persephone was showing above the sweetheart neckline of her strapless black tea dress that had tiny pink designs across the bottom. 

"And Apollo can't accuse me or he implicated himself at the scene of the attack." Hades offered. "Sweetness, go sit. Let me finish." 

"No, you've pampered me enough. Also, Eros is entirely responsible for the amount of times that card was swiped. I didn't want to do it. I was fine with like four outfits." Her expression said she was trying to figure out a way to pay him back. _Oh, Kore. When will you learn, all I have is yours now._ She pushed him towards the table, where Psyche had resumed sipping her wine, and Hades sighed when his future queen handed him a whiskey on the rocks. "I don't like spending so much."

"Well get used to it." He decided against showing her the jewelry he'd bought the night she'd locked herself in the bathroom. Hades would save that for later, while they were alone. "So how crazy did it get when I left?" 

Eros and Psyche shared a look. "Bad. It went bad bad. Hera and Zeus got into it. Apparently she had a vision about Persephone, but Zeus dismissed her. She left, snd said she'll come back when he believes her." Eros blew out a heavy breath, and Hades cringed. _Where could she be hiding? Or is she searching alone?_ "Without her there, Zeus let Apollo go home. Poseidon found out, snd they went at it. Poseidon knows you would never hurt a woman, especially Persephone, like that."

"So who is running the 'search'." Hades air quoted the word, as Persephone put a covered pan in the over and made her way to him. He held out his arms, letting her settle on his lap. When he looked down, he had to snort. The link designs on her adorable dress were pink butterflies with skulls for bodies. "Cute dress, love." 

"It matches her-" Hades raised an eyebrow at Eros as Psyche jabbed him in the ribs. "Okay! Okay! So what's the game plan. How do we get Persephone in a position to accuse Apollo?" 

"I was thinking." Hades closed his mouth as Persephone spoke. "When I fought back. I almost won. It was his sun powers that weakened me enough for him to beat me unconscious. That was before I could fully use my primal form. Now I can call it at will." Eros seemed taken aback by her statement. Hades wasn't. He was just glad she was finally accepting she was powerful enough to have one. He squeezed her gently, kissing her shoulder. "But, he's still older, more powerful. He has hundreds of temples to supply him with tributes. I don't have any." 

"You do too." Hades sat up straighter, turning Persephone on his knee. "You have to. The mortals renamed you. They must build a temple in order to rename you." His Little Goddess looked perplexed. "Honey, even I have two temples, and mortals like to pretend I don't exist except once or twice a year." 

"But I don't. I swear. I used to, but something.... something happened. I can't.... ugh I can't remember." She squeezed her eyes shut, as if she had a headache. 

"Then we'll have to find it and make sure the mortals pay tribute." 

"Your birth name was Kore, wasn't it?" Psyche perked up, and Hades froze. It wasn't often that mortals remembered birth names once changed. Now Hades understood why Eros loved her. "There used to be temple on to Kore in Sicily. My cousin, Kalliope, was going to be a hand maiden there, but the village wrote back sayinh Kore would take no more tributes from  
Them and had cursed their lands. Only Demeter was able to lift the curse, and she did, so long as they never built a temple to Persephone's name."

"I'll look into the temples." Eros volunteered. 

Hades sighed, as Persephone glanced at them and then down at her hands. "What, baby girl. Tell me." 

"I need to learn to fight. I mean really fight." He squeezed her hand as she met Eros's confused look. "I need your dad."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending gets a little nsfw.  
> Little short as the next chapter will be very long......and very intimate

Hades slipped away from Eros and Psyche, who were pouring over a map of Sicily on his coffee table, to follow the sounds of humming. The two were trying to pinpoint where Kore's temple had been. Persephone was stacking dishes to be washed as the pack devoured their dinner around the room. "Where's Cerberus?" He queried, raking the time to enjoy the full effect of her outfit. 

The black dress exposed her rounded cleavage, delicious neck, and tempting shoulders. It clung to her torso, making her curves seem fuller, but still as smooth, only to bell out in a skirt where her hips began, in a short version of a formal gown. It was a lot shorter, stopping barely at mid thigh, to expose her luscious legs. At first he had thought being here had paled them, but had learned through touch that she was wearing a pair of nearly translucent silk thigh highs, with a line of black rhinestones down the back of her legs. The shoes were fuck-me-high stiletto heels, but designed like a pair of Mary Janes, with the main portion being black. But the straps and trims were the same pale pink as the skulls. Her hair was long, twisted up in a pristine bun held in place by two black hair sticks with rose gold filigree.

"He kept running the others off the bowls, so I fed him in the pool room." She looked back, the obsidian drop earrings casting a dark sheen across her cheeks. From day one, Hades had marveled over how Cerberus had been putty in those lovely hands, but now he knew that his oldest companion had known what she was. "Was dinner really good? I've never cooked meat before except in a crock pot."

"Dinner was perfect, but that dress isn't for washing dishes." Hades dropped a kiss to her cheek before reaching around her and popping the dishwasher open. "Use this." He smiled as she looked down at it. "I know you prefer doing things the 'mortal' way, but doing it the easy way is okay too." 

"I know. I was just hoping if I took too long, you'd come find me." Hades didn't even think about protesting as Persephone wrapped her arms around his waist. "Do you trust me?" Her fingers toyed with his shirt in the back, momentarily frying his brain. _What a backwards question. Who wouldn't trust her?_ "i mean, to make these decisions... I know you want to protect me-"

"Sweetness, I trust you know what's right for you." He cupped her cheek softly, trying to convey his support without overstepping her fragile boundaries. "Although, choosing to stay with me raises questions on your idea of good decisions." _Fuck! I know she's destined to be my queen, but I keep falling back on old insecurities._

"I think it was my best decision so far." The little tease tugged the back of his shirt playfully. "I don't care what anyone else thinks." To his dismay, she pulled away, and Hades made to tug her back, but she was opening a drawer and holding up a black, carved box. "So, I saw this, and I thought of you... well.... of us." The shy way she said the last word made Hades melt. She opened the box, and he wondered how he was still standing. 

Inside the box lay a tie clip, cuff links, and a boutonnière. They were made of platinum from his personal ore bank, and the boutonnière and cufflinks were a delicate flower of kunzite, and the same flower was set into the tie clip. "Do you know why kunzite is my new favorite stone?" He murmured, taking the box a touching the cold, hard, blossom. "It's the same color as your eyes." As he hoped, those smooth cheeks tinged magenta with her blush. "Did you know that the mortals have decided to give meanings to precious metals and gyms like they do flowers." _I can't tell her what it means. She'll think I'm making it up._

"No. Did I do something wrong?" A look if panic crossed her face, but Hades wasn't going to allow that to happen.

"No, not at all. I promise. In fact I'll wear them tomorrow." He guided her back, away from the sink, before setting the box down. "Now, leave the dishes. We can do them later. Psyche needs some company. I think she still finds me, well-" 

"Slightly terrifying?" Persephone rolled her eyes. Psyche was sweet, but she was mortal. Her experiences on Olympus and with her family hadn't exactly given her the best impression. "She'll get more comfortable when she gets to know you." She fiddled with her dress, still not completely sure about Eros' assurance on what was underneath. "Can you grab the bowls. I made pie and there's ice cream too." She lifted the silver lid-

"Pie?!" Psyche's sweet voice filled the kitchen. Persephone turned. The girl who was barely older than her was beaming. "I love pie! Apple is my favorite!"

"Mine too." Persephone felt a warm glow as Eros leaned down to kiss Psyche's cheek. Hades grinned at her as he set the bowls down and went for the icecream. Having them there, with Hades, supporting her and her decision had given her a feeling of acceptance she never knew before. This was about her, her choices, and they weren't making her do anything except be herself. "Eros, when you talk to Ares, how do you plan on getting him here without your mom or telling anyone?" The pink god snagged bowls from her hand. 

"Don't worry about that. I have a plan. We found your temple location by the way." Persephone huffed as Hades snagged her bowl and carried it over to the table. When he patted his knee though, she hurried to sit on his lap. She was pleased to find Psyche mimic her with Eros. "There's a village near your Mom's estate. It looks like the temple there was originally hers, but she converted it to you three years ago." 

"That's not uncommon for some goddesses to do. Didn't your mom have one of her temples converted for your hundredth birthday?" Hades queried before Persephone could question it. So she took a bite and listened. 

"Well here's the thing. According to Hermes' notes, the village was destroyed in a fire the same year." Eros gestured to Psyche. "But I rescued her a year and a half ago, and her cousin was supposed to be leaving for the temple the week before the wedding." 

"So, the village wasn't destroyed three years ago? I don't understand. Maybe Hermes made a mistake." A pain shot through her head, and Persephone gasped, rubbing her temples. "Sorry, headache." It eased as soon as Hades kissed her bare shoulder and hummed. 

"You've had a long day, and you used your powers in new ways today. You should rest." Hades stroked Persephone's arms gently, as he realized it was well after nine. The last few days had seen them in bed already, and while he was fine, he knew she was still feeling all the stress. "You two are more than welcome to stay in one of the guest rooms." 

"We would but we have to report back to Zeus." Eros, despite being a guest, collected the dessert bowls. "We'll see you tomorrow." 

"'Kay." Persephone slid off his lap, and Hades let her go. He watched as she embraced her friend. Psyche was gathering her cloak, so Hades made his way to her. 

"I'm sorry for scaring you the other day with Aphrodite." He took the rich material from  
Her hands and draped it over her shoulder. "If you ever need anything, let me know. You'll find there's very few problems I can't... resolve." He slid her his business card. 

"Thank you, Your Maje-"

"Just Hades." He cut off the title with a kiss to her right hand. "Fly safe you two, and remember, not a word except to Ares." He watched as the women embraced tightly. Soon he was again alone with Persephone. "Fuck the dishes. Let's go to bed." He tossed back his last swallow of whiskey. 

"Agreed." Hades couldn't help but notice the way she grew suddenly shy and small in his hands on her her waist. "I have something to show you." He felt his throat run dry as three jasmine and five forget-me-nots appeared in her hair. _She can't be planning what I think. She isn't ready._ Even so, he found himself entranced by the sway of her skirts and the glitter of the rhinestones on her stockings as she led the way through the mansion. 

Halfway up the stairs, Hades groaned aloud when she looked back over her shoulder at him. Her eyes were flickering between the purest pink and the darkest red. Where her fingers ghosted the wall, vines with tiny white flowers burst to life, filling the air with a tantalizing scent. "Kore." He sighed when she pushed open the bedroom door, and beckoned him in with a smile. 

"Shut it behind you." She was standing at the foot of his bed, which had fresh sheets and a few new throw pillows of soft pink and cream. He did as he was commanded, unable to resist. She looked down at her perfect little feet, and Hades waited. His ears were ringing, and it was taking all his will power not to given in to his lurid fantasies. Finally, Persephone spoke, and her words made his knees nearly buckle. "I want to undress you." 

"Ok-k-kay." He was too stunned to even realize he was stuttering. "If you're sure." Hades stepped closer to her, trying to remember how to keep himself grounded to the floor. "Would you like me t-t-to sit?" She shook her head, so Hades swallowed. 

"Please don't touch me until I say so. Okay?" Persephone waited until Hades nodded feverishly. His cheeks were so dark, nearly navy, and his eyes seemed to be confused on whether they should be the deepest black or bloodiest red. She stepped into his space, reaching up to start on his first closed button. His shoes, tie, and coat had been abandoned downstairs before dinner. "Talk to me about work. I wanna know how your day went that didn't involve my problems." 

"I had some meetings." Hades' voice was low and thick, and Persephone found herself relaxing. She had no intentions of letting things go too far, but Eros had hinted that maybe Hades and she both needed somewhere to start before they exploded in ways they regretted. "First was on the cross realms trading contracts." She made it to the fourth button, mesmerized by the patterns of pale scars she was unveiling. Yes, she'd seen him shirtless since she arrived, but she'd been too sick or nervous to _look._

"What are those?" Persephone could feel his posture loosen as his undershirt became visible, hiding the rest of his skin. "The meetings I mean." _Why is this making my head spin?_ She felt like she was going to hover any moment, but chose to keep her feet on the ground. Her fingers grazed the waist of his pants, and she drew a breath before untucking his shirt. 

"Our kingdom is predominantly trade driven. We can't grow anything, and what water here is drinkable comes from springs and rivers and such. So we depend on Demeter's harvests and Poseidon's water." She was pleased to hear his stutter hand disappeared, and that cool, confident tone was returning. She finished his shirt, reaching up as high as she could to push it down his arms. He chuckled, helping her. "In exhange, I provide the four realms with things like oil, gem stones, technology. Our kingdom also contracts all waste removal and other such jobs to them."

"Then I had an orientation meeting with the new hires for Pomegranate technologies. Persephone curled her fingers under his undershirt and pushed up, feeling her pulse race when he tossed it away. "They'll be heading up a project for new laptops." 

"But you just released a new line!" Persephone froze with her fingers on Hades' belt. Looking up, he was giving her that 'Another Day Another Dollar' smirk. "Continue." The buckle finally yielded, and she reached for the button. 

"Wait." His whisper froze her and she looked up again, his face was soft and apologetic. "I... just.... I can't help myself. You're so close and perfect. Don't judge me." He drew s deep breath that made his chest brush her nose. "Continue."

Persephone popped the button free and went for his zipper. Her hand brushed against a solid bulge, and she felt her throat begin to burn like before. _Not now... not now_. As his trousers fell open, she was greeted by a neatly trimmed expanse of white hair that. _He isn't wearing underwear._ Her chest and throat flamed hotter. "Sweetness, I can." Persephone shook her head, as she pushed the material down his thick thighs. 

"Oh." Persephone felt her breath catch as Hades' hard erection was revealed. She swallowed hard, feeling a bit overwhelmed. He was large, as Eros had predicted, long and and thick, the head glistening with his silver arousal. She hadn't seen how it had looked with Apollo, but it had hurt. Hades looked much larger than Apollo had felt. "How will you fit? It's so big, and I'm so little." She slapped her hands over her mouth as Hades barked out a laugh. "Don't laugh!"

"Little Goddess, trust me, it'll fit." She watched as his hand approached her face before he ripped it back, remembering her rule. "But you don't want that tonight do you?" 

"No." Persephone wasn't ready for that, but she did want to explore, to understand these feelings he gave her. "Not tonight." She took his hands, pulling him away from his clothes. "Could you... could you lay down for me?" The hard part was over, and she could feel that warm, powerful feeling unfurling in her core. _This is Hades we're talking about Cinnamon Roll. He's never going to hurt you....unless you ask him to, and trust me it is a good kinda hurt._ Eros' voice echoed in her mind as Hades moved to the bed to recline on his pillows, on knee bent, the other extended, hands behind his head. "You're so beautiful." 

Hades had no idea what Persephone was up to, but he was enthralled by her every move "Thank you." He'd been called many things by Hera, Minthe, and his less attached flings before Minthe. None had ever called him beautiful. He had always been handsome, sexy, or hot, and it had never had the absolute honest adoration in the words as she had just murmured. 

His fingers ached to touch her, but Hades knew this was Persephone's stage. He would never move further than she gave him the room to. Hades only wished his traitorous body would behave, but her touch on his skin, the scent of her, seeing her so close was too overwhelming. "Oh fuck me." He couldn't help but gasp as she reached back and unzipped her dress. It slid down her curves, revealing the sweetest but most sinful lingerie he'd ever seen. 

Persephone's endless curves were completely encased in a black shelf bra that had the cutest pink ribbon with black rhinestones bows over her visibly pebbled nipples. A matching garter belt clung to the lowest part of her waist, trailing more powder pink ribbons over black lace panties to the clasps holding her thigh highs in place. "Oh, sweetness. You look breathtaking." _Smooth move, breathtaking? She looks like she was just manifested from your deepest fantasies and all you have is breathtaking?!_ Then, she bent and undid her shoes. Hades felt his eyes roll back as his cock flexed against his will. 

"Can I touch you, Aidoneous?" She breathed, as she rested her petite hands on the sheets by his foot. 

"Yes! Sweetness, yes!" He swallowed a moan as she crawled between his legs, trailing her fingers up to his chest, before she straddled his hips primly settled herself with his hard member curved up behind her luscious rear.

"Keep your hands behind your head." She whispered leaning forward, graceful hands on his cheek, and Hades fisted his pillow as her lips touched his as soft as a butterfly. _This feels like Elysium_


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nsfw

Persephone didn't want to admit out loud to Hades that she was nervous. This had been her ideas, and while she didn't want to stop, she was briefly wondering if she'd jumped too soon. His lips were so patient under hers, taking only what she was giving and not demanding more. "I want, Aidoneous, I want to touch all of you." She moved her lips along his cheek, breathing in the rich aroma of his nearly gone after shave, cigar smoke, and that ever present campfire in the woods smell. 

"The touch me, Kore. I'm yours." Hades' voice seemed to be stuck in a graveled whisper, and it sent sweet chills through her body. "Only yours, I swear." Persephone didn't need the reassurance. She tasted the soft skin of his neck, feeling his scalding pulse against her tongue. "Just please don't push yourself thinking I'm expect-" She sucked hard, effectively ending his sentence. Her whole body was humming with energy at the feel of his skin under her fingers, and with a final pull of his lips with her own, she sat up to splay her fingers over his chest. 

She felt in awe at the beautiful god beneath her. His scarred skin, so much more scarred than even her mama's, was stunning to her. Persephone reached out, caressing the highest scar, on his face, just below the hairline and stroked it down to his ear. Hades shivered softly, but she didn't stop. "I think you're the most stunning being to ever exist." She reassured him, noting how his brown knotted when she touched the one on his right shoulder. "Does this bother you, if I-"

"No, Sweetness, I like when _you_ touch them." The gruff sigh in his voice made the sleeping power stir in irritation. _I wonder if he'll ever see himself like I do. Minthe messed with him so much. I don't regret what I did._ Persephone reached his broad chest, and she worked her fingers slowly, memorizing the planes and edges, the dips and curves, and where her touch made him twitch or suck in a breath. 

"Your nipples are sensitive." She mused, circling them with her thumb. Against her rear, she felt his hard _penis? Dick? Erection?_ flex.

"Why did you look confused?" Hades licked his lips, his eyes flicking between her face and breasts. She chewed her lip before moving her hands down to his rib. "Sweetness, you can talk to me too." 

"I don't." She blew out a breath, focusing on a particularly intricate intersection of scars on his sternum. "I've only ever used proper anatomical names for the body, but even in my head it seems weird to think them." 

"Are you talking about my cock?" The word tumbled from his lips with such smooth grace that Persephone felt her core clench. She nodded, licking her lips and moving to his upper abdomen. "Sweetness you can call it whatever you want. Whatever comes to your tongue, say it. I will never make fun of you." His reassurance made her lower back tingle and she had to taste his lips again. _Psyche and Eros are right. I'm in love with him, but what if Eros read him wrong._

Persephone had mapped his entire face and torso, but her journey was blocked by her own lace covered skin. "I want to go lower." She whispered out loud. 

"Then do, Little Goddess." 

Carefully, Persephone lifted herself up and back over his cock. She swallowed hard when it momentarily rested against her stomach as she settled to his thighs, the head leaving a sticky spot almost even with her navel. She'd been locked in his gaze, and when it occurred Hades pillow jerked and she swore his eyes nearly fluttered shut. "I love your legs. They're so strong, but so graceful." Feeling bold, she shifted further down so she could kiss his thighs. "It's such a shame mortals never paint you. The world is sorely missing out."

"Keep this up, and I may develop and ego."

"Like you don't have one already." She found she'd run out of skin, and the only thing unexplored was resting against his abdomen, hard, thick, and leaking a single thread of silver liquid to his skin. _You are a fertility goddess. Stop being such a stupid village girl._

"Would you like to do my back now?" Hades' queried, and Persephone slid her hand forward, fingers caressing the dip where his shaft rose up. "Oh, Fates, yes." She marveled at how it rose up from his abs before falling again. She slipped her fingers up his length, marveling at the contrast she found.

He was iron hard, but as smooth and soft as the finest silk. Thick veins pulsed under the thumb as she traced them. Persephone had a wild urge to see how it felt against her tongue, and hear what noises he'd make if she curled her fingers and stroked, but shoved the thought away. "Persephone, love, this feels amazing, but I don't want you to rush yourself." 

"I'm not." She shifted off of his body, moving to knee beside him and lean in for a kiss. Her fingers were dying to go back, though. "Would you like to touch me?" 

"Very much so." Hades breathed, his tongue teasing hers gently. "Would you like me to?" Persephone nodded. "Ask me to touch you then." Teeth nipped her lip tenderly, and she felt her hesitation begin to fizzle out. 

"Hades, please will you touch me?" She pulled back as his hands came from behind his head. She pulled them to her sides, rolling onto her back, and protested when he caught her and pulled her back up right. "What?" She whined, head spinning with anticipation. 

"Clothes... may I take them off of you?" 

"Yes."

Hades did his best to be as gentle slow and patient with her as she'd been with him. He started with her bra, holding his breath as the scarce material fell away to reveal her supple, perky, perfect breasts. He resisted the urge to cup them just yet, choosing instead to find the clasps on her garter belt, opening it and gently popping the ribbons free of her stockings.. Then he eased her back to the pillow and dropped the garments on the floor. Persephone's eyes were closed, and he reached out to stroke her button nose. "Look at me, Sweetness. I want you to talk to me. Tell me what you like and don't like. Where can I not touch?"

"Okay." Her voice was breathless, and Hades stroked her cheek with a thumb. Finally her lashes parted, and she smiled up at him. "Touch me anywhere. I don't know. I've never been..." Her voice trailed off, and Hades leaned in to press a soft kiss to her lips. "Just, n-n-not inside me."

"I had no intention of it." Hades kneeled over her petite frame, admiring the treasure he'd partly unwrapped. He touched her cheeks softly, a bit too tall to kiss her without laying down. "You're so precious to me, Kore. Will you tell me if I need to stop?" 

"Yes." Hades traced her full lips with his thumb once before sliding down to her neck. While he was drinking in the perfection of her, he found he was acutely aware of her every shudder, tremble, and breath. The deepest, most predatory part of him stirred at the way her sweet neck looked under his fingers urging him to curl them just so while his other hand drove her to pleasure, but Hades ignored it _She may never be able to take that side of me. I couldn't bear to do anything that reminds her of him._. "What were you thinking just now? Your eyes...Aidoneus I liked that look." 

"I'll tell you later." He continued his path, skirting his index and middle finger along her clavicles. They dipped down, circling Persephone's breasts. Hades felt his mouth water at the soft sigh she made. A rushing _floomf_ noise filled the room, and Hades' core tightened as her hair burst free of it's decorative sticks, cascading over the pillows to pool on the floor, in a wild tangle of waves and fragrant flowers. "Persephone..." he paused, as she covered her eyes and whined. "Am I doing something wrong? Why are you hiding?" He reached for her fingers, but she slid them away on her own and moved his hands back to her breasts. 

"No, I just have a hard time controlling my powers when I'm... turned on." Her voice was thick but breathless, like a blossom thick with nectar and pollen waiting for a breeze. "Touch me, please." She pressed his palms into the fullness of her breasts, and Hades felt his cock flex at the way she slid her fingers up his arms. "Talk to me, tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm thinking how I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I first saw you." Hades finally confessed, savoring the weight of her silken skin. Her breasts were goddess perfect, no difference in size, forever destined to be this pert, this supple, and his tongue begged to taste them. Gently, he dragged his thumb over her nipples, the exact color of a pink lotus. She mewled in delight, arching her chest up into his palms, and Hades growled in need at the sound. "If the sirens could tempt gods, that sound would be my downfall." He did it again, because he could, because she was his and he was hers. 

"Again, again." Persephone panted, her eyes fluttering beneath her thick lashes, lips glistening from where she'd sucked the lower one into her mouth. "I never knew it could feel so wonderful." Hades yielded to her plea, ignoring his own body that was dying for release. "More! Touch me!" Her desperate whimper was accompanying by lush, spring foliage blossoming along her shoulders and hips. 

"Patience, love. Don't rush." Hades didn't know if he was lecturing her or himself, as a sticky, addictive fragrance filled the air. It teased his nose, making his head spin, even has his fingers slipped over her delicate ribs. "You are so perfect, Kore. Inside and out." _My Queen is the best of us all._

"So are you." She purred beneath him, those pink pools of eyes threatening to freeze him in place. His fingers explored her exposed abdomen, admiring the softness of her form. 

"I love how soft and pliant you are." He breathed, delicately teasing the covering of ivy on her hips. They disappeared in a burst of golden pollen, and she keened, one pink hand grabbing her right breast as she arched her hips from the bed. "Oh, good girl." Hades felt the praise slip from his tongue, as he memorized exact swell of her hips. More of the ivy burst into dust, but immediately regrew when his fingers were gone. "You enjoy that? It looks like it." 

"S-s-sorry." Persephone looked embarrassed at groping herself. _I don't think she's ever even touched herself_ "I don't know why I did that." Her hands slid away, but Hades didn't reach to stop her like he wanted

"Sweetness, it's okay if you want to touch yourself. It's natural." He shifted further down until he her toes were resting against his knees, then leaned forward to drop a light brush of lips to her stomach. Then he pushed back up to rest his fingers on the waist of her lace panties. "Kore?"

"Take them off." Her hips lifted, and Hades slid them down, ignoring the desire to look. Having dropped them to the floor, he turned his attention to the stockings. Slowly, teasingly, he rolled one down her leg with his left hand, teasing a path on her revealed skin with his right. Then he did the other. Only when she was completely bare before him, did he look back up, checking her movements for discomfort, before lowering his gaze to her trimmed fuchsia curl covered folds. "Aidoneus." Her words came as her thighs rubbed together, releasing more of that addictive, sweet, nectar scent. 

"Yes, love?" Hades forced his gaze back to her, as he momentarily forgot how to breathe. Petals were raining down around them, cascading to the mattress as he skimmed his fingers questioningly along her thighs. _That smell is her. It's coming from her._ His mouth flooded with the need to taste. 

"Will you please touch me there too?" Persephone sounded ready to snap, and Hades couldn't blame her. He was too. Everything felt hyper sensitive, as if one wrong movement would shatter the world. 

"Show me where you want me to touch, Little Goddess. I don't want to assume." Hades held his breath as she slid her hand down her stomach, pausing at her soft curls before sliding down to cup her entire mons. "There?"

"Yes."

"Put your hand back on your stomach, Kore, and remember. You can tell me no or stop." Hades looked up, finding her eyes shut, left index finger in her teeth, with tiny white buds blooming widely along her brow. "Persephone, Look at me so I know you hear me." Her eyes shot open, and Hades swallowed a groan at the look of desire in them. "The instant you feel uncomfortable or upset or like I'm going to far tell me to stop. I will listen, I swear. Okay?"

"Okay." Persephone was having a hard time keeping her mind straight. Everything felt so tight but so loose at the same time. Butterflies filled her stomach, but a slow, demanding warmth was flooding her veins from that spot deep in her core. His fingers left cold fire in their wake, and all she wanted was to feel more. Hades' index finger traced a curve along the apex of her thighs, into the dip along the sides of her folds and she felt the heat grow. "I like that!" 

"You're positively dripping, Sweetness." His finger curled along three other side, and then it was parting her folds from the bottom. "Stop me." He groaned, and she saw the fire in her core reflect in his eyes. 

"I don't want you to stop." His finger slid higher, dragging the sticky wetness she had felt pouring from her center higher. _I sound so desperate. He probably thinks I'm so-_

"Not desperate, Little Goddess." His voice cut off her mental panic, and she realized she'd been talking out loud. His finger found a spot, and Persephone cried out at the electric pleasure it shot through her core. "Aroused. And I don't think you're anything but perfect." His finger swirled around that spot again, and Persephone couldn't keep her body still. His fingers slipped down again, teasing her center then back to that spot. 

"More." She tossed her head back, eyelids too heavy with pleasure to keep open, but his finger disappeared. "Hades!" She knew she was whining, even as she lifted to head. Hades was smiling adoringly at her, holding up a single finger that was coated pearlescent with her own nectar. "Aidoneus, please keep-" Her words died in her throat as Hades held her gaze and slipped the finger between his lips. 

"You taste like honeysuckle and lavender and the purest spring water." His voice was rough, and his eyes burned hungrily. Persephone could see what he wanted, and it made her heart pound harder. "Sweetness, mmmm so fitting a pet name, if I keep touching you like that, you will come. Are you sure?" 

"Come where?" Persephone didn't understand, And Hades' raised eyebrows almost made her embarrassed, until he leaned down and kissed her gently. The taste of honeysuckle but thicker was on his tongue, and she whimpered at the knowledge that it was her own flavor.

"Orgasm, love. I don't know if you're ready for me to do that for you." His lips brushed her neck, making more of her drip into her curls. _Orgasms can happen from touching? The books in Mama's library never said that. I should know things like this._ Hades hands traced her eyelids, and she realized her had closed them. "I'll stop. I'm sorry. Please don't cry." Hades' weight and fingers were gone, and she felt the mattress shift beside her. Persephone realized her cheeks were damp and she opened her eyes. 

"Aidoneus," She pushed up to cup his cheek, finding his face heavy with guilt. "I'm crying because it feels so good. You make me feel good, and I've never felt..." her cheeks burned as his face lit up. "I've never experienced an orgasm. I thought it only happened during sex."

"Oh no... there's many ways to make a woman orgasm." Hades' smile was returning, but it was cautious, like when he wasn't sure she wanted him. "Haven't you ever made yourself come?" Persephone shook her head, vividly remembering her Mama's chastisement that maidenhood was the safest way for a woman to live. "Why don't you try that before letting me do it for you? Here." He stacked two pillows up behind her. "Lean back, love." 

Persephone did as instructed, heart racing as he moved between her feet and spread her thighs with his hand. She let him, remembering how wonderful her breasts being touched had felt, and gave them a soft squeeze. "Good, good Little Goddess. Now, just do what feels natural." Like with the kissing, she found an instinct struggling against her fears, and she set it free. Her fears loosened in her chest, and she rolled her breasts in her palms. Hades' fingers drew circles on her hips, and she gasped as he leaned in for a gentle kiss. 

Her right fingers began to drift down, as Hades broke the kiss to let her see her own exploration. Persephone gasped at how sensitive her curves were, how the skin just above her curls seemed to spark with pleasure. "Now, don't go right for your clit." She hissed at the word, unsure if she liked it. earning her a chuckle. "For your bud then, Sweetness. First, you've got to get your fingers wet. Go on." 

"Yes, Sir." She breathed, though his grunt and sharp inhale confused her for a moment. "Like this?" Skirting her most sensitive spot, Persephone dipped her fingers down to test the spring of nectar pooling from her. Her entrance clenched in anticipation, and she whimpered, biting her lip. "Then this?" She spread the sticky juice higher. 

"Yes, now softly, delicately, press and circle." She wanted to look at him, but her fingers' moments were too entrancing. _I never knew I could feel like this. Oh!"_. She found the hooded bud and did as instructed, her legs twitching in pleasure. "Oh yes! Good girl, Kore." 

"It feels amazing!" Persephone let her head fall back as she circled her fingers again. "Oh, fuck!" The curse fell unbidden from her lips, but it only served to make her pleasure grow. 

"Such a filthy mouth when you give into your desires." Hades tone was so different, and it was driving her mad with need. She turned to stare at him, finding his eyes heavy with a look that sent her pleasure higher. She pressed a bit harder, finding it made her toes curl. "I love it. I love how you are so soft and sweet, yet when you let go, you became so dreadfully wicked." 

"Touch yourself, please." She wasn't sure where the need to see it came from, but suddenly she was desperate to see him in pleasure. "I want to watch like you're watching me." 

"Oh, fuck, Sweetness." His cock was in his hand, and she held her breath as he caught the dripping string of silver arousal on his palm and spread it over the thick, blue head down to his base, and exhaled as he groaned her name. "Persephone, Don't stop pleasuring yourself. Let yourself come, feel how wonderful your body is. How special you are." 

There was something building inside of her, and it tightened that warmth deep in her core. "Hades!" She crooned, trying to convey the way she was feeling, desperate for him to understand how the site of his strong hands working himself was making her need. "I-i-i-I feel."

"I know, Little Goddess. I know! Let yourself feel it. Don't hold yourself back." Her fingers moved of their own accord, snd Persephone let them. She was burning, racing towards a precipice that was terrifying and yet utterly free. "I said let go." The hunger inducing vision of Hades stroking himself disappeared as he leaned over her and kissed her with a passion she'd never felt. Persephone snapped, and she felt and saw stars explode inside of her.

Her fingers, sticky and buzzing, fell to the sheets, as her other hand moved to the masculine knuckles bumping into her hip. Hades' breaths were short, shallow, and growling as his lips danced with hers. Persephone listened to her instinct, her mind blinded and fuzzy with pleasure, until she found his thick, warm head, slicked with his own sticky juices, and wrapped her fingers around it. "Let me." She murmured into his lips. 

"Kore..." Hades tried to brush her hand away. He was so close, and her lips were all he needed to explode. Her pants and cries of pleasure, the burst of flowers, and the scent of her nectar had hurtled him to the edge quicker than anything before. 

"Please. I want to." Hades was powerless. He slipped his fingers over hers, groaning at the bliss he'd only fantasized about, and resumed his rhythm. As if she'd burst from a dream, her fingers found the right tightness, the perfect twist to each stroke, and he let his hand fall away. "I was made to please you." She whispered before her tong teased his

"I was made to love you." He confessed, not caring that he'd said it so soon. Hades couldn't deny it anymore. _I love her more than anything._ She gave a small keen, teeth grazing his lip, and he tangled his hands in her hair, thighs trembling, as Persephone's thumb grazed over the most sensitive spot on the underside of his shaft.

"I love you too." Hades' heart seemed to swell as that coil tightened at her words. He sighed into her lips, so close, her magic hands better than he'd imagined. Persephone broke the kiss, parted lips on his jaw, and she breathed. "Aidoneous, come for me." The coil snapped.

"Kore." Hades panted as his pulse roared in his ears. Her fingers didn't cease, even as he felt himself surge onto her arm and stomach. "My perfect goddess." _My queen_ he kept that thought hidden, as she stole his words with her lips. He cupped her head, holding her with trembling fingers, until the last of his release was painting her flawless skin. "Oh... Persephone." 

Legs shaking, he stumbled from the bed, flailing for his nearby robe, and stumbled back to her as soon as she began to open her eyes. "Shhhh, just cleaning you off." Hades drank in how immaculate she looked, divine, glowing with a radiance as she held out her arm, and he finally understood why mortals worshipped some of them out of love instead of fear. What else could one do, when something so perfect existed?

Petals were still falling, but lighter now, and Hades realized the entire floor and every surface as blanketed in the floral euphoria. He lifted her arm, cleaning her skin with the most delicate touch he could manage. Then those intoxicating eyes opened, and he saw unfettered bliss in them. 

"Stop that and come hold me." Persephone pushed the robe away, not caring about the sticky mess. It was from Hades, and she was fine with the way it felt. As soon as he was on his back, she swung a leg over his hip, straddling him. "You love me?" She whispered, lowering her head to his chest. His heart thundered under her ear as his arms wrapped around her.

"I think I've loved you since I saw you. I was just afraid you didn't love me back." His lips were so soft on her hair, and Persephone had never felt so comfortable in her own skin. "You love me too?"

"I think I've loved you since you 'saved' me from Cerberus." She pressed a kiss to his chest, nuzzling her cheek against his scars. "I know It's soon, but I can't stop myself." She felt the happiest tears sting her eyes. _I'm not ruined. If I was, this couldn't have happened. I'm going to be okay._

"I don't want us to stop." Hades stroked her hair. Persephone began to shiver, as the heat from the pleasure faded. "But maybe we could take this cuddle session to a nice hot bath? Hmmm?"

"Mmm see, that's why you're king. You have the best ideas." Persephone shook her hair, giggling as she saw it was halfway to the closet. "Maybe, um, we can cut this first." She lifted up enough to see Hades laugh, and then he was lifting her into a hug and stumbling from the bed. 

From the hall, Persephone swore she heard the sound of a lighter flicking, but Hades had just pushed the ensuite door open. Shaking it off, she tilted her head forward when he set her down so he could cut her hair to her shoulders. Over the scent of flowers, came the tinge of herbal cigarettes, but it was gone before she could question her nose. If someone was here, the dogs would have alerted them. "Into the water, Little Goddess." She squealed in laughter as Hades scooped her up again.


	14. Chapter 14

"There you are!" Psyche's voice rang out, as Persephone slipped up the path. She waved to her friend, spotting her up ahead by a shaded pond, taking care to stay out of the direct sunlight. The shade was cool, as spring always was, which Persephone found she was used to after nearly a week in the underworld. "Eros just left." 

"Sorry." She fell onto the ground beside the beautiful mortal, snagging a strawberry from the picnic blanket Psyche was sitting on. "I was really tired this morning." She popped it into her mouth before I shouldering her bag. She set it gently down, pulling Hades' helm from inside. _Take it, Kore. Just in case._ Hades' voice echoed in her mind, the last thing he'd said before kissing her thoroughly and heading out to work, almost an hour past his usual time.

"So Eros' advice worked?" Psyche's hand was gentle on hers, and Persephone nodded, looking up into those chestnut eyes. "I'm glad. Do you want to talk about it?" Persephone felt like a flood gate opened inside of her as she laced their fingers together and squeezed. "Did you make love?" Had it been anyone else, she wouldn't have felt at ease enough to talk, but Pysche knew what it was like to have decisions made for her, to be hurt by people she trusted, and to be alone in a world dealimg with emotions she had nobody to confide in.

"No. Not really, we just touched. At first it was just like my plan. I undressed him, had him lay down, and then I took off my dress." Persephone picked up another berry, reaching over to offer it to her friend. "I touched him. All of him, and he touched me." She felt her cheeks burn as she tried to put her pleasure filled memories into words. "All of me. I... he taught me how to pleasure myself." 

"Mmmm Eros showed me too." Psyche gave a wicked grin that made Persephone giggle. "Did he go down on you?" 

"What's that? 

"Oh, sweetie. It's when someone makes you come with their tongue and fingers."

Persephone felt a bit stunned. "No wonder he licked his fingers clean! That absolute scoundrel!" She felt her core tighten at the prospect of Hades hot, wide tongue swirling around her. She stole Psyche's wine glass to cool her throat. Mortal alcohol would have no impact on her anyways. "But I made him come with my hands, twice. He was almost late for work." She passed the wine glass back with a happy hum. Hades had also made her come with his hands. The bedroom was still covered in petals, and honestly, Persephone didn't mind. There was just one thing. "Can I ask you something, about you and Eros?" 

"Sure." Psyche held out a bit of bread with a cheesy fruit spread, and she took it happily. "Anything." 

"How big is Eros?" She shoved the bread into her mouth to cover her embarrassment. _She probably thinks I'm a pervert. I'm just really nervous about Hades' size. I couldn't fully close my fingers around him._ She choked as Psyche pulled out a cellphone and began swiping. 

"Here." She held up the phone and Persephone spit her bread out. Clear as day was Eros posing in the mirror. He was nude, one hand holding the phone and the other behind his head. His erection stood proud, and it was almost as long as Hades but definitely looked as thick. "He's a love and sexual pleasure god, Persephone. Why? Is the Unseen One not endowed, because Eros said, and I quote 'A man with that cool confidence doesn't pack less than a summer sausage.'" 

"He's about Eros' size." Persephone tried her best to get the image of her best friend out of her head. Then again, having a love and sexual pleasure god as a best friend meant that probably wouldn't be the last time. "Doesn't it hurt... I mean. Psyche we're about the same height, and you're thinner than me. How does... how does he fit without pain."

"Persephone, sweetheart." Psyche put the phone down and pulled her into a soft hug. "It is a bit uncomfortable sometimes, if I rush to get him inside me, but the majority of the time, It just feels like Elysium." Persephone felt herself relax some, as her new friend rested her head to hers. "From what I saw and what Eros has told me he felt with you both, Hades would never try to make love without getting you wet first." 

"I don't think he would either!" Persephone had no doubt that Hades would never force her past her boundaries. "We said I love you." She sighed, and so did Psyche. She closed her eyes remembering how many times Hades had murmured it throughout the morning. "I'm glad you were willing to be my friend. I'm glad Eros found you. He was so distraught." 

"I know... I heard him telling Aphrodite and you on the phone." Psyche pulled her head away to pick up a handful of grapes. "I have a book Aphrodite gave me, about sex. She wrote it, mind you. Mother only taught me how to please a man, but nothing of a woman's pleasure. I'm sure your mother was worse. I can bring it over!" 

"Oh! Thank you!" Persephone felt what was left of her trepidation about knowing nothing fade away. It came just in time too, because in a puff of pink and white feathers, Eros came dashing into the grove. 

"Catch!" He barked, as Persephone scrambled to her feet. A large spear was tossed at her, and she caught it. In a flash, Eros had tackled Psyche away. "Don't flinch!" He ordered, as the grove erupted in a battle cry.

"Get back here you little shit! What are you, five!!" Ares burst into the grove, his uniform dark against his gold skin. "What the hell do you need with my spear!" 

Persephone felt her irritation at everything increase instantly, and she planted her feet. With a shout she planted the staff of the spear in the ground, taking a protective stand she'd seen Artemis and Athena do so many times. "I asked him to get it for me!" She lied, as Ares skidded to a stumbled stop. His red rimmed eyes met hers, chest heaving, and the anger, the thirst for battle that didn't belong to her faded. 

"K-k-Kore?" Ares gasped, reaching his casted hand forward then dropping it. He stepped closer, then back. "Persephone? Oh my Gaia." Persephone vividly remembered their last encounter, but the relief and regret in his eyes didn't match the goading gloat he'd had before. "You're alive." 

"Yes, thanks to Hades and Hecate." Persephone tightened her grip on her spear. "And if you tell anyone on Olympus I will turn your dick into a daisy, try me." She expected a challenge, an arrogant laugh, even a snort of derision. She did not expect Ares to step forward and touch her shoulder. "Don't." She jerked back. 

"I owe you an apology, Persephone. I was intentionally cruel to you. I goaded you and used my powers on you." Ares removed his uniform hat, tucking it formally under his arm. "I thought you were dead, and the last thing you'd have known was me being nasty for my own entertainment, when it was obvious someone had truly been hurting you. I was out of line, and I hurt you too." He bowed slightly at the waist, and Persephone felt her anger at him flicker to near nothing. 

"You're forgiven." She touched his arm, and Ares straightened. "Now, I need your help."

"Wait, first, why can't I tell anyone you're alive?" Ares reached forward for his spear by Persephone yanked it back again. 

"I need to fight, and You're the greatest warrior on Olympus." Persephone made very sure to say warrior and not general. The last thing she needed was to get Athena's ears ringing. They were dancing a dangerous line as it was, being in the mortal realm during the day. "Do you remember I said I wanted war, and you felt me call?" 

"Of course I did" Ares was watching her now, and Persephone could see she had him on her hook. "I also felt your battle cry the morning you went missing, but I didn't know... Persephone I didn't know you were being taken." His jaw clenched, and she could see he was tasting how her fear and anger had been so many days before. 

"I wasn't being taken, Ares. I was being attacked, by the man who raped me not long before, the man I wanted war with." She stuck the butt of the spear into the ground and drew a sun. Persephone dare not speak his name, not when he was working. "Him... He would have raped me again, if I hadn't summoned Hades before I blacked out." 

"Him?!" He pointed at the sky, thankfully understanding the need for discretion, as Eros finally stepped forward. "Oh, fuck that pretentious little shit! I will rip his throat out and feed it to my soldiers in a stew. Sweetcakes, let me champion for you."

"If I wanted a champion, I'd ask my boyfriend. I don't. This is my war, and I want to see him bleed." She held his spear out with a smile, letting her less merciful side show. Ares' lips curled up in amusement. "I have powers, but I've never studied combat. I need you to teach me how to fight with them."

"Oh, I can teach you, but I want something from you first." His eyes gleamed with a predatory flash, and Persephone braced herself for an attack. None came, even as Psyche took her hand. "Why did the mortals change your name? Nobody on Olympus or in the Underworld knows. One day you were Kore, and the next Persephone. No mortal I've met knows either, and the village outside your mom's estate. Yeah, I went there for answers and all I found was a ruined village surrounding a well poisoned by hemlock, filled with skeletons covered in aconite." His glowing orang eyes fell level with hers, and Persephone swallowed. "What did you do, Babycakes? What did my sweet, wide eyed, flower child do?" 

"I don't know!" Persephone screamed as pain stabbed into her head. She stumbled, losing the spear, only to be caught by Ares. "My head!" She clung to his arms to keep from falling. "I don't know. Mama said... she said... 'mortals are fickle, like dandelion seeds. If the wind blows a new direction, so do their stories'. A few months later she told me to apply for school. I never thought about it, until you brought it up."

"Well, she isn't wrong." Psyche offered with a snort. 

Persephone pushed herself away from Ares, who then knelt to pick up his spear. She clutched her head, as the pain increased. It was like a scab being pulled away slowly, tearing fresh skin. "Great job Pops, you broke her."

"I'm fine. I just need a minute." She drew a breath, focusing on the sound of songbirds in the air. The pain subsided, like Hecate's numbing salve had been applied to her thoughts. "This is the second time I've gotten a headache when that damn temple was mentioned." Almost immediately her mind throbbed. "Ahhh!" Large hands covered hers, and Ares was tsking under his breath. "What?"

"Look me in my eyes. Go on, and don't look away." Persephone forced her eyes open to meet his gaze. The pain grew stronger, burning, and she whined, needing to close her eyes. "Oh... oh.... yes." He cupped her hands, pushing in so close this nose brushed hers. "She can hide your thoughts, but this... this is mine to reveal." He yanked back, and Psyche shrieked. Persephone looked down, and her head spun was the pain faded and she saw what Ares had revealed. "The blood of dead warriors is on your hands, Bringer of Death."

Persephone's hands looked gloved in mortal blood. It dripped from her fingers, wilting the fresh grass at her feet. "How? How? I never... I can't." Her mind throbbed, as Eros grabbed her and dragged her to the pond to scrub her hands. 

"Why can't you just train her? Why torture her like that?" Eros shouted, but Persephone tried to make sense of it all. 

"Because if she wants to fight, she needs all her powers at the ready. Persephone needs to know what she's capable of." Psyche's voice was sad, but Persephone could understand why. "Right, Ares?" 

"Best way to do that, is to trigger what set her off. That means we head to that temple." Ares' staff shrunk to a dagger, as Persephone stood, and he tucked it on his waist. "It's too far to fly, due to that one" he pointed up. "So, we'll have to go Underworld expressway. Eros, get my car."

"Call Hades. Let him know to meet us at the temple as soon as possible and not tonight." He kissed her cheek and was gone. 

Persephone pulled out her phone, feeling trepidation rise in her gut. 

**Going to my old Temple. Ares won't train me til we do. Meet me ASAP**

An hour later, when Hades finally dragged himself out of the judgment hall, he found the text from Persephone, and his heart clenched. "Why must my nephew always be a dick!" Heading to his office, He traded his chiton and crown for his suit. "Forward my calls! I'll be back after lunch." He barked at his new temporary PA as he headed out. "And call the stable at gate six and tell them I want my best mount ready."

Luckily, the expressway took him right to the pathway up to the mountain cave. He tossed his keys to one of the stable hands who took care of the stable at the path upwards. His mount was waiting, and he led the stallion up the smooth path. He was still riding high on Persephone's touch. His little goddess had proven to be as natural as her fertility traits had intended, but he was in no hurry to rush her. 

The sunlight hit his face, making him sneer. Luckily Apollo knew better than to come anywhere near his realm. "Now, where is the village?" He hummed, trying to get his bearing. The estate was on the left, so... "Right, across the river, then down to the west of the lake." 

Hades led his stallion along the overgrown path. From ahead, he heard singing, and he prepared for his usual, fear filled greeting. As he turned the corner, he found a frail, elderly woman with long blonde hair, the bluest of eyes. She was sitting on a log, embroidering. At the sound of hooves, she looked up. "Don't be scared. I'm just passing through." 

"Are you heading to the village?" The old woman coughed, and Hades stopped. He hadn't disguised himself, so he knew she could see who he was. _Why isn't she afraid of me?_ Hades looked around, curious as to where her companions were. "I travel alone, Unseen One. My companions have long since withered." 

"You know me, and yet you do not fear me. Why is that, wise woman?" Hades couldn't help but draw near, as she reached for a half filled wineskin, and he lifted it for her. 

"Shall I fear the King of my Mistress? I serve The Lady Hecate, and she keeps the Path to Hades lit." She gave a hacking cough, and Hades briefly swore he smelled herbal cigarettes in the air. He placed a hand on her brow, feeling for fever that usually accompanied such a cough. Her skin was dry and hot, but not feverish. _It's so rare to meet one of Hecate's Priestesses alone. I can't leave her like this. Hecate'll never let me forget it._ "You are also not the first god to pass me today. His High Lord Ares, the Lord of Beauty Eros, and Sweet Lady of Spring Kore passed this way not twenty minutes ago with a young mortal woman in their company." 

"I see, and did they offer you food and drink?" Hades knew his saddle bags would have been packed with them, as they always were on expedition trips, as he'd classified it when passing the border. 

"Aye. Kore gave me the last of her whine and fruit. As well as this flower." The woman held up a rose the color of her eyes. Hades felt his heart melt at the thought. "I told them I did not want to slow them down, as they had no mounts, and I would wait for the cool of the day. Kore was uncomfortable leaving me alone, but Lord Ares was demanding." 

"Kore is very compassionate and kind." _With a vengeful side that would make Hera proud._ Hades sighed in contentment, as he took the wine skin and closed it. "Let me offer you a ride. Spirydon has a smooth gate, and my saddle was crafted by Hephaestus. You'll arrive to the village-"

"You love the Spring Goddess." The aged priestess cut him off, her blue eyes like the clearest of summer skies burning into him. "Tell me, Unseen One, Our King Underground, will you trap her in your palace?" 

"Never!" Hades stumbled back, stirring Spirydon as the priestess shook her head. "I would never make her do anything she does not wish."

"You would make her your concubine? 

Hades felt anger flare at the accusation. This was twice the 'c' word had been attached to their connection. He righted himself, feeling his teeth narrow to points. "I would make her my Queen!" 

The priestess opened her mouth to respond, but a scream of fear and agony filled the air. "Persephone!" Hades stumbled to his mount as the ground trembled. He looked back at the priestess. "I can't give you a ride. I must-"

"Go to your Queen, Dread King." The ground shook again, and to Hades' horror, the shade of the freshly killed rabbit the woman had just picked up from a sack sprung back into the corpse, making it squeal. Another cry of agony, and Hades urged Spirydon into a gallop. Looking back, he found the campsite empty, baring the revived rabbit who was munching on a bowl of Olympian fruit.


	15. Chapter 15

"Oh gods." Persephone covered her mouth as she made her way through the mortal village that had been her one escape from her mother's estate as a child. The village and surrounding farms had been solely devoted to Demeter, which had created a safe haven for Kore, for her, to play with other children her age and establish her reputation as Goddess of Spring. Now, it was ruined. 

All around her, buildings were crumbled or scorched with fire. Arrows and rusted spears stuck out from skeletons that had been picked clean by scavenger birds. Psyche was crouching over something, and Persephone shot forward to stop her hand. "Stop! Look!" She pointed at the deceptively blue aconite plant her other hand was landing on. "Leave her. There's nothing we can do." She tugged her away from the skeleton wrapped in bridal robes. Psyche nodded, following her back to the men.

"It looks like a raid. See how the burn marks here are darker than the ones at the edge of the village, and there's more casualties in the open?" Ares was pointing things out to Eros, who was holding a golden wine goblet as if trying to force a memory. "And this symbol. It is for the warlord Andras Bazyli. He served in my army when he was young, but left when I blessed him with strength only slightly weaker than one of father's bastard demi-gods." 

Persephone took the ripped necklace from him, holding it up to the sparse light in the shadow of her path. It spun, sending gold over her skin. Pain ripped into her mind, and she whimpered and leaned against the broken wall. _A temple floor was cold under her back, as her head throbbed. Coarse hands fisted her hair, slamming her head down again. The charm spun over her nose, a droplet of sweat slid down it, falling in a spiral to her exposed chest._ "No!" She tossed the necklace away, her stomach churning dangerously. 

"What did you see?" 

"I don't know." She shook her head, as Psyche gave a strangled shout. Persephone staggered towards her, the headache never lessening. Her friend was standing in a road leading out of the village, her face aghast. "Psyche?"

"Dove?" Eros rushed towards her, and they both stared where she was pointing. The path to the small valley where the temple lay was strewn with the evidence of a small army: chariots, carts, swords, shields, and skeletons in light armor. "Pops!" He called, as Persephone felt her legs give out. 

She felt Ares' arms slip under hers, and the pain in her mind became a continuous ripping wave. "The temple! Take me to the temple!" She staggered blindly forwards, trying to make sense of the murderous whispers raising up around her. "Can you hear them?" She gasped, while Ares held her arm. His face though blurred by her pain was tight. "They are so angry."

"Who, Persephone?" Persephone clutched her hair, as the memory of blood and sweat and fear clogged her nose. She swallowed back bile, forcing her feet to move forward. "There's nobody speaking.

_Murderess_  
_Bringer of Death_  
_Poisonous Flower_  
_Abandoner_

They followed her down the path, and Persephone imagined ghostly faces over the skeletons of the warriors on the road. She noted, as she stumbled into Ares, that nothing grew but angry red thorns and poisonous weeds. The grass, the wild flowers, even the smallest of mosses were dead and decayed. "What did I do?" She stumbled over a bleached hand, and it grabbed her ankle. "No! He's got me! Let me go! Let me go!" The ghastly shade face sneered over the skull as his bones nicked her skin.

"Hey! It just caught on your sandals. See" Eros knelt, freeing her strap from the digit, which fell away. "This place is super fucking creepy." He hissed, before standing and cupping her face. "Cinnamon, maybe we should wait for Hades. I don't like how this feels." 

"Feels like a battlefield." Ares snorted behind them, and Persephone heard him fiddling with a sword or a shield.

"There's just.... guys. I haven't seen a single child's or animal's skeleton." Psyche stepped into their little huddle and whispered. "Not a single one. Only adults. These chariots all fell here, but where are the horses?" Persephone's mind throbbed again. 

_"Bury the children and animals with the neophytes and handmaidens near the temple. Their souls can't go to Hades. They will reveal the truth. If he finds out what she can do, he'll kill her. Tell Hermes to collect the villagers only. As for the defilers, their corpses can be a feast for the crows, if Hermes takes them, they will snitch too. Then try to find any survivors. I saw some run to the hills." Her mother's hand was on her shoulder. "Come on, Little Bean. You must snap out of this." A soft sigh brushed her hair. "Fetch me that spell book Hecate loaned me last week, Alainia. Don't worry, Little Bean, Mama's gonna make sure you never hurt over this again."_

"No, nonono!" Persephone yanked away from Eros, blinded by her pain. She ran, letting her feet remember a path she never recalled walking, until she slammed into the temple door with a sob. Blazing, burning, stabbing red pain tinted everything, making her body shake. The doors' lock bar was shattered, and the once luscious grounds were barren of all but poison. "What have I done?! What did I do?!" She stumbled inside, as she saw the open air altar room was ransacked. 

"Persephone, I don't think it was you." Eros had somehow come to stand over her. _When did I sit down?_ He held up the virginal cloth of her neophytes, and it was stained red beneath a filthy hand print. 

_Mistress? My Lady Kore? Is it really you?_ soft whispers drew her gaze to the cracked altar, as sweet, shades looked out from behind it. 

_She's Back!_  
_She returned!_  
_Set us free!_  
_The men, they prowl around at night. Chase them away!_

The young girls spilled around the altar, their robes ripped and torn and bloody. Persephone reached for them, but they shrank back, and shrieked. Persephone turned, and her ichor ran cold. Piling in behind an oblivious Ares, Eros, and Psyche were the shades of warriors. "No! No! You can't have them again!" Deep inside of her the power snapped, and she felt herself shift. 

"Holy Hera." Ares gasped, but Persephone paid no mind. The pain was gone now, and in its place was a raw, burning power. 

"You can't have them!" She bellowed, stomping her feet and howling all her pain and rage into the air. "I am the Bringer of Death. You will obey me or face my wrath!" She tossed her head back, splaying her arms wide, as she gave in to the power that had eluded her for so long. She lashed out with the vines, snarling as her nails turned to bloody black thorns. The warriors surged forward bellowing as their ghastly weapons raised, and the shouts of her friends said they could now see them too. 

"Don't you fucking dare!" Persephone felt a call in her core, an authority that had been demanding recognition, and it led to an army waiting judgement deep in the Underworld. "Rise, my warriors! I need your aid!" The earth trembled, and what was left the the vases and pitchers shattered. The handmaidens shrieked, as around her, the warrior shades bearing the mark of Ares' most recent campaign fizzled into existence. "Drag them to Tartarus!" She ordered. 

"Persephone! No!" Hades voice rang clear, but she couldn't stop now. These men, these defilers, needed to pay. "Kore!"

_Hades_  
_Unseen One_  
_King of Death_  
_Take us with you. We're so tired._

"Hush little ones. I will, but first your Mistress needs to be calm." Then Hades changed, and Persephone saw him. His bident glowed menacing, like liquid night, as his skin swirled stars. Long, glacial hair cascaded from beneath his crown, the shades turned to face him. "Kore, my love. Call off your warriors."

"No! No! You don't understand!" She sobbed, slinging a vine forward again, ordering her soldiers into another attack on them. Hades strode through the melee, and he cupped her face. His eyes were wide and authoritative, glowing scarlet, and Persephone _saw_ him. The burning in her soul crooned in recognition, and she knew what he was. She felt him in her very center, begging her to submit to him, and likewise falling down to worship at her feet. "Aidoneus." She breathed. " _My_ King. Let me make them pay, you don't know what they did.

"They must stand judgment, it is the law." Hades' fingers stroked her cheeks, and Persephone felt the block on her mind begin to rip again. "They've been kept here too long. Let them all go!"

"I claim their judgment day." She insisted, resisting the memories that begged to burst forth. "I'm to be Queen, and I demand their souls to be mine to judge." 

"They shall be."

"And my handmaidens, they will rest in Elysium, and they will not wait on the beach." Hades nodded, stroking the tears from her face, and she let her control over her soldiers fade. "Rest, my warriors." She whispered, collapsing into Hades, as they faded from view." 

"Eros, Ares, take my Queen back to our house. It seems I have work to do." 

"But Hades."

"Now! Zeus is coming!" Persephone felt herself swept into Ares' chest, and she held our her arms. Like a wave, her handmaidens rushed to her, and she carried them at her bosom as Ares spiraled downward. 

"Hey, fucktards!" Hades snarled at the warrior shades prowling around. He snapped his fingers, and the earth opened wide beneath them. "See you soon." He shuddered back to his normal form as Zeus came walking through the door. "What?" He snapped. "I'm not in the mood."

"Dude, all of Olympus felt that mood. What the fuck?" His baby brother stared around the destroyed temple, which held no evidence of the battle barring the fresh mud the shades' armor and rusty weapons had brought in. "Why are you trashing one of Demeter's old temples?" 

"It's not Demeter's." Hades walked over to pull back a curtain of vines obscuring the mural behind the altar. "It was Persephone's. Someone left me an anonymous tip that there may be information here." He kicked hard at an abandoned shield, irritation rising at how he had to be here when he should be back with Persephone. "I show up, to find a bunch of dead warriors who were never collected tormenting a group of Kore's old handmaidens who also weren't collected!" 

"Sounds like Thanatos was fucking off that day." Zeus slapped him on the back. "But you settled it all. So, did the tip generate anything about her whereabouts?" 

"No!" Hades shoved him away and growled, meeting his brother's lavender gaze. "But you know what, I think you know something you aren't telling me." He prowled back towards him, doing his best to maintain the furious ignorance charade. "I heard from Eros that Hera had a vision about Persephone, that she may have been raped, and you refused to acknowledge it! You know damn well Hera's visions are true!" 

"But she thinks Apollo did it. My son would-"

"The night I drove her home from your house, Apollo was there. She was scared of him. I thought it was because he's an obnoxious douche." Hades stuck his finger in Zeus's stunned face, swallowing hard. "If your _son_ had anything to do with what happened to her, if it comes out that he raped her, I will not hold back." 

"You really don't have her." Zeus seemed shocked, and Hades realized his brother had assumed he staged the kidnapping. "I thought you took her as your bride, like I said to do and Minthe caught wind of it" Zeus' face finally broke down. "Or that maybe Minthe kidnapped her and you were dealing with it privately. You really didn't..."

"I told you. I would never force her to be with me. I love her. I would only marry Her if she wanted me." Hades shook his head. He should be appalled by the thoughts Zeus had had, but he couldn't be. It wasn't uncommon in all three realms, but it was never something he could do. "I would never push her into something she hates."

"I'll... i need to find Hera." Zeus pulled at his hair, and Hades sighed. "If you see Bunny... tell her I need her. Tell her... Tell her I'm ready to listen." 

"No offense, Brother, but I have my own love to track down. You have to fix things with Hera on your own this time." With that, Hades stepped through the Ether to his office. He needed to be sure Zeus didn't follow him. So he waited for five excruciating minutes before picking up his phone.

"It's about fucking time!" Hecate hissed, and Hades felt his heart sink. _Why is she answering Persephone's phone._ "Get home, now!" The line died, and Hades threw himself back into the ether.

When he stumbled out, he found Hecate pressing a cool compress to Persephone's brow, and his little goddess' head was resting in Psyche's lap. "What happened?"  
He sobbed, falling to her side, finding her staring at the ceiling, her ryes glassy red and blank of emotions. "Kore... Kore."

"You let her go to a place someone blocked in her memory, you idiot!" Hecate punched him hard in the jaw before resuming her wiping of Persephone's brow. "Her mind is flooding with all the memories of that day, the pain, the anguish. She was never able to cope with it naturally,and you morons let her just rip one of my most intricate memory spells off like a bandage!" 

"You blocked her memory?" Hades felt appalled by her words. How could she have done something like that and not told him. 

"Not me, no. The magic tastes of the harvest. Demeter used my spell." 

"So what do we do?" Hades took the cloth from Hecate and began stroking the lax, unmoving face. "How do we help her?"

"You can't. She has to get through this on her own. All you can do is keep vigil, because she can't be moved." Hades touched Psyche, who shifted so they could hold Persephone still and allow him to shift his lap under her head. "Either she'll wither, or she'll rise stronger than ever." 

"She'll rise." Hades knew it. He knew his Persephone was so much stronger than anyone knew.

"Hades, how can you be so sure."

"Because." He shooed a butterfly from her nose. "She's the Goddess of Spring. Spring means to rise and be reborn." _But what will she be reborn as?_ Hades knew his answer as he thought it, but he dared not speak it out loud.


	16. Chapter 16

_"It's just nor fair, Makaria." Kore sighed as she fell back onto the pillows beside the sweet faced handmaiden. She rolled over onto her stomach, picking up the goblet of wine, mortal of course since Mama didn't think Olympian wine was suitable for her. "I'll be nineteen in three months, but she treats me like I'm five. I want to go to Olympus! I want to go to school!"_

_"Then go, Mistr-" Kore gave her a long look from the side of her eyes. "Kore. You're a goddess and an adult. Not like me." Makaria picked at a grape, her chestnut hair falling in loose wet curls from the bath on the spring they'd just shared. "You can do as you please, so long as King Zeus and Queen Hera do not take offense."_

_"It doesn't work like that." Kore sighed, taking another sip before setting it down. She laced her fingers with Makaria. She gave a squeezed, pleased that the girl had opened up to her. When Athena had brought her, cold, afraid, and sobbing to the estate, the silver goddess and Mama had wasted hours trying to get the girl to explain why she had summoned help in a forest. Makaria hadn't said, though Mama and Athena had muttered her ripped wedding robes and evidence of being chased through a river said enough._

_The girl had been thirteen then, with no desire to be a warrior, and no taste for hunting. So she could not serve Athena or Artemis. She excelled at home duties, but those Hestia could see they made her depressed and sickly. Gardening, particularly in the spring, made her glow. So Mama had converted one of her nearby temples into one for Kore, and Makaria had been Kore's very first handmaiden. In two years, when she turned eighteen, she would be her first priestess._

_"Kore, what if we ran away together?" Makaria whispered, as if afraid the neophytes studying nearby would overhear. "We don't have to go to Olympus. We could visit the ocean or find a village in the middle of nowhere and live happy and free. We could post as sisters."_

_Kore giggled at the idea, but the amusement died swiftly. "Mama would find me, or she'd make King Zeus drag me home. If I went to the university, though, and graduated. I could work for Queen Hera or train to be a politician like Athena. I could study arts with the Muses, or start the biggest garden Olympus has ever seen." Casting her eyes around, knowing full well Mama was prone to bursting in announced, Kore added. "I could get married."_

_"Kore!" Makaria hissed, her eyes wide and fearful. "If your Mama hears that." Kore squeezed their laced fingers and popped a grape in her mouth. "At least, if you married, he would be a god or a demi-god. He'd be strong and handsome and brave. Well handsome unless Queen Hera marries you off to Hephaestus!"_

_"Makaria!" Kore tugged her hair playfully, hissing in disbelief. "I'll have you know Lord Hephaestus is quite striking. His scars do not make him ugly." She reached up to touch the delicate diadem, her very first one, with a finger. It was stunning silver, meticulously woven to look like a chain of daisies, and would sprout butterflies every time Kore touched it. "He made this for me for my last birthday. I came of age, so it was a big feast. He was very gentle and sweet." Then she sighed and rested her head on Makaria's shoulder. "But Mama says marriage is a sham. So she'd never give her consent."_

_"I was almost married, when I was brought here. It was to a foreign merchant. My mother had died and my stepfather didn't want me interfering in him remarrying. The man was kind and gentle, but I didn't want to go! So I ran away. My stepfather sent his hounds after me, but I hid in a swamp until they passed." Makaria gave a soft smile, as if embarrassed. "That's when Lady Athena found me. I was afraid if they knew the truth, they'd send me back."_

_"I won't tell anyone, but they'd never send you away now." Kore rolled over onto her side and let her friend and handmaiden snuggle in close. She toyed with the girls soft curls, as the pleasant heat and lunch wine lulled the girl to nap. "This is my temple, and here I make the rules."_

_A soft breeze stirred through the temple, rustling the nearly transparent robes of the older girls, which were shorter, less embroidered versions the opaque veil like material draped across Kore's form. It smelled of the wood fires in late summer, when the harvest began. It was pleasant at first, but then became harsh and acrid, like when King Zeus had burned Mama's fields. High above the temple, the town's warning horns blasted. At first she didn't worry, because it wasn't uncommon for bandits to try to rob the town. Then came the sound of screaming and battle, and she knew something was wrong._

_"Girls!" Kore shot up, as Photine jerked awake. "The town is under attack! Prepare for wounded!" She tried her best to remain calm, while the older girls begun shouting orders to the younger ones. Drawing a breath, she tried to remember everything she had been taught._

_"Makaria, have the younger girls begin making bandages and laying out beds. I want you to fetch the medicine bags from the storage room, and begin distributing them amongst Melinoe and the rest." Kore reached up to twist her hair in a bun. She wasn't much for healing, but she could grow the plants needed for poultices and salves._

_Shuddering, she took on her mortal appearance. Mama had forbade her from ever revealing herself to the mortals beside her neophytes and handmaidens, so when any villagers were around, she pretended to be a high priestess. There was banging on the temple door, so Kore rushed for. She turned the lever, pulling the heavy wooden doors wide, and found herself face to face with a man on a large horse._

_"So I did guess right! A temple full of women." The man roared with laughter, and Kore stepped back. He swung down, as more men came pouring down the path. Behind themthe village burned and people screamed. There were male villagers fighting hard in the street, but it looked like an entire army. "Are they all as delicious as you, little priestess?" He backhanded her hard, sending her stumbling back._

_"My lady!" Makaria cried, as the girls screamed._

_"Run! out the back!" Kore's head spun, as she tried to focus her powers. Hiding them and being caught by surprise had allowed her to be stunned. The scream of girls made her stagger to her feet, only to have the man grab her hair and toss her into the altar room. She crashed into Melinoe, who was bellowing a war cry and brandishing a fire poker like a sword._

_Five more men poured in from the back. Kore felt panic rise, as they seized the youngest neophytes, ranging in ages of eight to twelve, and back handed them hard. "Leave them alone!" She screamed and wailed on the man who had slapped her._

_"Oh! you're feisty!" He laughed, spinning on her, grabbing Kore buy the throat and lifting her up. She kicked at him, trying to claw his arms, but he slammed her into her altar, then released her to slide to the floor. "Kill any of the girls who look too young for the rest of the troops, and take what spoils you want from the rest. This one is mine."_

_Kore heard squeals, and then the smell of blood was in the air. "No!" She tried to see but her head throbbed, shooting white stars over her eyes and making her stomach churn. "Leave them alone." She sobbed rolling away from the man. She knew Mama had said never to reveal herself, but she had to help. Shuddering, she shed her mortal visage and stood, doing her best to look imposing. "I am Kore! You are defiling my-" The man backhanded her again with a laugh, and Kore crashed into a potted ivy._

_"Look boys. A flower nymph. Oh, once I finished with her, we'll put her to work!" More cries of pain and the copper of blood was in the air like a poison._

_"No!" Kore threw her hands forward, throwing ivy and vines at the men. She felt her powers unfurling, the fresh heat and rebirth of spring flowing in her veins. She lashed them like whips, trying to fight the fear and panic in her voice. One of the vines wrapped around a man's neck, and she yanked. There was a crunching sound, and Kore watched in horror as the man fell, lifeless, to the floor. "I didn't I didn't mean to! Mama! I didn't mean to!"_

_Then Kore saw what was happening, as if in slow motion. The younger girls were being knocked unconscious and tied together in a pile, as two men sharpened their swords. The girls in their early teens were being gagged and tied, and the ones closer to her age were being held down, their gauzy robes ripped away, and three were sobbing as the filthy men held them down and rocked over them. Then, time resumed, and she heard herself scream. "No more!" Red vines were wrapping around her body, writhing with her fear. Two men approached the youngest, and began driving swords into their necks. "I said stop!"_

_Kore raged forward, her vines thrashing, and another neck was snapped. It was too late. The last of the little ones gurgled to silence. "Goddess!" Came Melinoe's voice, and Kore saw her pull an arm's length shard of stained glass from the chest of a man who had his sword in her gut. "Save them!"_

_Kore screamed in agony as something ripped her vines, and she found herself being reeled back. A sword hilt slammed into her skull, and for a moment the world was dark. Then light returned. Kore was on her back, the screaming stopped, only sobbing now. Rough hands were ripping something from her body, and to her left was a dripping noise. Kore turned, seeing Makaria's face turning blue. She was fighting hard against the man over her body, and her blood dripped from her ears, nose, and mouth. "Makaria."_

_Kore tried to roll, but fingers closed around her throat. "What a weak little goddess I bet the other gods won't notice you being my captive." A gold charm spun above her nose, as a drop of sweat spiraled down to her now exposed breasts. "I'll make sure I send a good tribute to Lord Ares for my strength, the mortal who claimed a goddess!"_

_Drip  
Drip  
Drip_

_Kore blinked and looked to her right, more blood dropped from the ashen face of Photine, the prayer leader. Her eyes were staring into space, as froth bubbled reddish orange down her lips._

_Drip  
Drip  
Drip_

_Golden ichor leaked across the floor, as the man shoved Kore's legs apart. Then Makaria's eyes went dark, and Kore felt her world explode in grief. "No!!!!!" Deep inside of her, something snapped. She slammed her fists down, as a red energy surrounded her, throwing the man back, back, into the altar. "No!" A new power, something she'd never felt before, burned inside of her, and suddenly the room was full. The men she had killed were staring around in confusion, and her dead handmaidens were huddled together sobbing._

_"I need soldiers!" The words fell from her lips as Kore landed. She knelt, touching the ground, and she pulled at the strings of hundreds outside the temple. Through the walls thundered men and women from village, broken and ruined, transparent but wielding their scythes and knives and pitchforks. They fell on the remaining min, including the one who had claimed to be the strongest. He was running away._

_"No, you will not escape." She floated from the temple, as a manic laugh echoed from her at his fear. More spirits were pouring from the village, falling on his army. "Mine!" She bellowed, sending thorned vines around him, until his armour bent and his skin bled. Then she stood on his chest, squatting down. "Do you know what hemlock can do to a human?" She opened her palm, reveling the plant. "Or aconite?" Another giggle, powerful, filling, unstoppable bubbled out. "Find out!" She shoved them into his mouth and held his mouth shut, poking and poking until he was forced to swallow. "Hold him!" She commanded, as the transparent villagers came forward. She ripped the charm off and held it over his face before hurling it away._

_"You called me weak! I am Kore! I bring death to life!" The shades rushed the remaining soldiers as they fled. "Kill them all." Kore felt nothing but power. No fear, no panic, as she strode back to her temple. "Sweethearts! Come to me!" She called, as her maidens pooled around her. "Back in you go." She smiled, as Makaria took her hand. "I'm a goddess. I'm Spring. Spring is about rebirth!"_

_"Mistress! I can't." Makaria recoiled from her body. "It's wrong! It feels wrong!"_

_"Get back in!" Kore screamed. "Obey me! You will live!" She tried to grab Makaria, but her hands passed through her. "No!" She fell down, bellowing out her pain, cradling Makaria's body to her lap. "Come to me! Come to me!" Animals began leaping through walls, horses from the battle miller around, and the villagers flooded the temple. All were dead, and they all came to her cry._

_"Oh, Gaia!" Mama's voice gasped, and Kore saw her and Hermes standing in the door. "Kore, Kore!"_

_"Stay back! She has to release the shades!"  
Hermes threw his arm out. "Kore, let them go. I have to take them!"_

_"No! They are mine!" Kore screeched, flinging a hand forward, sending ghost hounds and a stallion at them. "I couldn't protect them. I have to save them. I can put them back!"  
Kore tried to tap into the power, to bend it, but it refused to mend Makaria's shade to her body._

_"Kore, listen. You need to let go. Mama will  
Help. Let Mama help, Little Bean!" Kore drew in a breath, as Mama drew closer. Her green skin and violet hair had never looked so beautiful. "Let the shades go, Kore cob. We'll  
Make it all better, won't we Hermes?" _

_"Yeah, all better." Kore didn't move. She couldn't. Mama didn't have that power and neither did Hermes. Makaria was gone, her friends were gone. She'd failed._

_The estate was around her, and noxious butterflies flickered and flitted around her. Kore cradled the air, stroking the nonexistent chestnut hair. She hummed softly, a lullaby for nightmares, but she heard nothing, saw nothing, until Mama put a cup to her lips. "Drink, Little Bean. Mama will make sure this hurt never comes back." So she swallowed, and the world was numb._

_"You can't ever tell anybody, Hermes. Especially not Hades, because he'll kill my baby. " Kore stared at the dirt, how nothing beneath her knees was alive. "They can never know what she's capable of. The mortals have already changed her name, but I need you to make sure nobody finds out why. This should cover it." Fingers pressed to Kore's brow, and the world disappeared, along with the pain, as bright eyes and chestnut hair ceased to exist._

Darkness, infinite all consuming darkness. She stood on a ledge, staring out into a bloody sea, and all around her was darkness. "You don't belong here, Little Goddess." Six eyes blinked above a toothy smile. "If the others smell you, they'll come running." 

"I know you." She blinked, confused, as to how she ended up here. "Nyx, but, but I was just with Mama, at her estate." 

"I knew you smelled like the green and purple traitor." Nyx grinned toothily, and extended two finger. "Tell Aidoneus, I should have stolen him for my self. You need to go, Little Goddess. It isn't safe for those like you." Nyx snapped, and the darkness turned to pink and blue torchlight

_"Little Bean, you returned." Kore rubbed her eyes as she sat up. She was in the throne room beneath the cave again. The pink woman in the black veil was there, poised primly upon a throne made of gold and skulls and roses. "I was so afraid you'd forgotten us."_

_"Kore! How many times have I told you, this cave is dangerous!" Mama's voice echoed overhead. "Where are you!" Kore swallowed hard, pushing herself up._

_"Mama doesn't know what she's talking about." The pink woman descended her throne, veil billowing around her, a crown of obsidian and spring wildflowers holding it in place. "You're safe here. You know that, don't you?"_

_"Y-y-yes." Kore cleared her throat, as the woman stroked her jaw with a gloved finger. "I do. I shouldn't, but I do." The sound of diamond nails drumming stone drew her attention. The Unseen One was sprawled in his throne with all the authority of the highest of kings. His face was still obscured by shadow, but his crown and bident reflected the torchlight onto his scarred, forget-me-not blue skin. "You're his queen?" She whispered, not wanting to disturb him._

_"Yes, and no." The woman traced her other jaw, before lacing their fingers._

_"Kore! I am not playing! You are too old for  
These games! Do you want to go to Olympus or not." Mama bellowed over head, but the pink and black woman tugged Kore's hand. "Come back up here!"_

_"Fuck Olympus. She just wants you to forget who we are, again." The veil rustled in non-existent wind. "Do you remember my name?" She led Kore forward, forward, to the giant of the man on the throne. Yet, as they grew closer, Kore found he wasn't a giant. He was well over average height, but not tall._

_**Persephone** The word drifted into Kore's mind, like a half forgotten whisper of a dream. "Persephone. You're Persephone."_

_"Persephone, love, come to me." The Unseen one's teeth glinted in the shadow, and a flash of scarlet glinted beneath the gloom. Kore swallowed hard, as his legs shift. "Don't be shy, Sweetness, I closed the throne room for ' maintenance'."_

_"Go." Kore nudged the veiled woman who was and wasn't queen forward. "He's calling you."_

_"Kore! If he catches you in his realm! He'll swallow you up! You have to come back." Mama pleaded, her voice carrying down the stairs._

_"Don't listen to her. Listen to us." Kore felt her breath catch as the veiled woman called Persephone approached the throne. "Feel us. This is where you belong." Her dress slipped from her body, revealing smooth, voluptuous, pink curves. "You next."_

_"But I'm scared." Kore looked back at the stairs, wondering who was telling the truth, and when she returned her gaze back to the thrones, the Unseen One was nude, fully erect, and his queen, but not queen, beckoned her._

_"We will never hurt you. Aidoneus loves you. You know this." An exposed hand extended, as her other rested on his lap. Only her veil remained. "Come, taste."_

_"Kore! Come back to the sunlight! The darkness is where monsters hide!"_

_"Choose, Little Goddess, but only one of us will lead you back to the one you love." A nimble pink hand stroked, making the King of the Underworld groan. "Go back up the stairs, and live forever in your garden, or lift my veil and accept the truth so many people wanted to take from us."_

_"Hurry up!"_

_Kore watched in fascination as the Unseen One guided the veiled woman's face down to his proud erection. Up or down, sunlight or eternal night. Then, she remembered, the monster behind the cloud was the sun. "I choose home." She rushed forward, lifting the woman's veil, revealing Persephone, just as her tongue extended to taste the silver drop seeping from the Unseen One's erection._

_"Hello, Kore." Said the woman who wore her face. "Do you understand now?" She lowered her mouth, taking the king between her lips. Kore felt her heart soar as she took her own free hand. Suddenly they were one, and Persephone looked up into Hades' love filled eyes._

_"Oh, Kore, I'm gonna... I'm... PERSEPHONE!" He arched off his throne, crying out, as he filled her mouth with the tart, sweet flavor of his release._

_Persephone took it all, until her mouth felt like it would overflow. She pulled back looking down at what had spilled on her hands, finding no silver godseed there. She parted her lips, and laughed aloud as the most perfect of pomegranate seeds spilled from her tongue and fingers to the floor. "My King." She sighed, crawling into his arms._

_"My Queen." Aidoneus hummed, kissing her lips gently. "Please wake up. Please don't leave me."_

_"Okay." Persephone gave a shaky sigh and opened her eyes._

"Aidoneus." Persephone murmured, as her stunning eyes fluttered open and Hades face swam into focus. "I'm gonna be your queen." There was silence for a moment, then she was being pulled from the floor and hugged. 

"She's awake!" Hades cried, as he planted kisses all over her face. _She remembers! She knows!_ "Oh sweetness, You have to keep scaring me like this." 

"I think it's the last time." Persephone chuckled into his neck. "I have so much to tell you." Her voice grew heavy and strained, and for a moment Hades feared she was slipping again. "Nyx says she should have stolen you for herself." 

Hades pulled back, searching her face, but found no mocking. All he saw was the purest love, snd it made his heart ache. "Oh, you crazy girl. I love you!" He lifted her to the couch as the rest of their friends piled in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Makaria and Melinoe are the names of Hades/Persephone's daughters. This is my take on how she decided on names while prego


	17. Chapter 17

"A deal's a deal. We'll start tomorrow." Ares shrugged as he tossed back the drink he'd helped himself to. "I'm gonna have to explain to 'Dite why I'm leaving on my day off." Hades shot him a dirty look, as Persephone poked at her tomato soup and toast that Psyche had whipped up when the little goddess had said she was hungry. "I can't believe you pack that kinda power. Like Eros says, you look like a fucking cinnamon roll. Fighting a god is a whole different thing. We need to find a nymph for you to start-"

"That leaf that was in your drink was Minthe. I turned her into a plant." Persephone said nonchalantly, before taking a small bite of her toast. 

"Then gave it to me in a drink." Hades snorted. Some part of him knew he should feel horrible about that, but he didn't have the will too. Sure, he'd cared about Minthe, but there was more pain and misery associated with her memories over the last fifty years than affection. The most he could summon was sympathy for her friends. Plus, vengeful Persephone was a cause for an instant hard on if he didn't catch himself. "So yeah, she's ready for a god." 

"Ma's gonna love that story when she gets back." Ares snorted, before setting his glass down. "So, we need somewhere down here to train, somewhere secluded." 

"There's a pretty secluded section on the back side of the orchard. I was originally going to make it a pasture for my horses, but, ya know, grass doesn't grow here." Hades dropped a kiss to Persephone's hair, adoring, as always, the way she looked perched on his knee when there were half a dozen free chairs around the rarely used table. "Although I have a feeling it will be nice and lush when you're both done." He nuzzled her ear with his nose, smiling as she tapped his thigh. 

"Get some rest, because I'm not going easy." Ares pushed away from the counter to prod a dozing Eros in the arm. "Alright love birds. Back home for dinner before your mother beats us both for skipping dinner." His vermillion eyes flicked back to Persephone, following the curves accentuated by her position, and Hades gave him a look right back. _Uh uh, don't even think about it. I don't share._ Thankfully his nephew seemed to get the meaning and put his uniform cap back on. 

"Night." Eros whispered, cradling half asleep Psyche to his chest. "Call me tomorrow. When you're done." Soon, they were alone, and Persephone heaved a sigh. 

"I thought they'd never leave." She huffed, dropping her spoon and turning on his knee. Hades was taken aback by her sudden burst of energy. "I love Eros to death, but I've had a really, really long day. I just wanted to be alone with you. Can we go take a shower?" 

"Thought you'd never ask Sweetness." He eased her off his lap. "You go start the shower. I'm going to let the dogs in and put this up." He watched as she stretched and shook her hair back. It had grown to her elbows during her trip down memory lane, but she hadn't asked him to cut it yet. After hurrying the pack inside, dodging the melting snow they shook onto him, he started towards the stairs. On the bottom step was one of Persephone's sandals and half way up was the other. "Silly girl." He sighed, scooping them up as he went. 

Around the corner, though he found the light scarf she'd worn over her shoulders instead of changing out of her mortal realm chiton. Smiling, Hades scooped it up too, until he saw the soft green chiton piled outside the bedroom. _Is she... no... she couldn't be..._ Hades collected the soft, but slightly dirty material up and headed into the bedroom. Yet, there were the cream colored lacy boy shorts with matching bra he'd seen her slip on this morning completing the trail to the ensuite. "Kore." He called, dropping the clothes as his heart thudded, the door was cracked, with the sound of the shower carrying out. 

"Are you joining me or not, Your Majesty?" Her voice carried out, as did the smell of honeysuckle. Hades couldn't remember a time he'd undressed so quickly. 

Persephone had just rinsed suds from her hair, thanking its natural state of constant for not needing conditioner, when cool fingers slid down her bare arms. "You know, Little Goddess, we have a clothes hamper." Persephone whimpered at the warm lips that grazed her ear. _Did I do it wrong? Eros didn't really specify how to do it._ His firms fingers disappeared. "Unless you intended to leave me a trail." There was the sound of a body wash bottle opening, and the loofa met her back, her hair being moved over her shoulder. She couldn't tell him she'd already scrubbed off. 

"I did." Persephone sighed, amazed at how sultry his washing of her skin felt. "I was trying to be seductive." She felt a bit shy admitting it out loud. Knowing she was destined, had always been destined to be his queen, didn't make her feel less intimidated by the severe gap in their experience levels. The soft ministrations reached her rear and ceased. 

"Mmm I was hoping that was your intention." She yielded when her turned her, reaching down to stroke her cheek with a finger. The water ran in rivulets down his face and arms, like rivers coming from a mountain. Persephone felt her lips part at his proximity. _How can he make me feel so small and fragile but so powerful? I love this feeling._ "But we need to talk." His breath, sweet but sharp from his cognac. She whimpered when he caught her lip between his with a purposeful suck. "About what happened today, what is going to happen, and how you feel." 

"I feel fine." Persephone took the loofa from him, reaching out with it to touch his stomach. He groaned deeply, lips disappearing as he lifted his head. _My mind is so loud right now. He makes the world quiet. Why would anyone not want love like this?_ she slid the loofa higher, working it over his broad chest. "Aidoneus, what's there to talk about? We already went over my memories. I told you, I feel bad for taking life, but I was defending-"

"I mean about us." Hades' voice was so thick and tempting, as he lowered his gaze back to her. His eyes were burning in that way that stole the air from her lungs. She stepped in closer, completely mesmerized by his scarlet stare His fingers were ghosting her curves, as she moved to his arms. "Fuck, Sweetness, you make it so hard to focus when you're looking at me like this." Something hard and yet slickly soft bumped her stomach.

"Like what?" Persephone slid the loofa back to his torso, down, and she tried not to gasp when her arm found him hard and wanting. 

"Like you..." he cut himself off with a growl, and Persephone shuddered at the feral power behind it. Inside of her, that warm feeling was spiraling. She was beginning to tell the difference in them now, the burning like a volcano and the simmering like a hot spring, how each fueled her in different ways. Her fertility instincts preened in delight as his fingers tightened. "Oh, Little Goddess don't ask me to tell you things you can't handle yet." 

"Say it. I'm not an innocent girl anymore." She tossed the loofa aside and reached up for his shoulders as she pressed into him. "Tell me, Aidoneus. I'm ready to learn." His face softened, as Hades reached around her, and Persephone shivered as the hot water disappeared.

"Oh, Sweetness. First, I need to talk to you." He pushed open the shower door, grabbing a towel. _Did I do something wrong? Last night he couldn't keep his hands off of me, and now he wants to talk?_ "Come here, Kore." Hades was wrapping Her in a towel, and she noted the first one was around his hips. He passed her another for her hair. 

Persephone knew she was being petulant. She understood Hades was trying to be slow for her, to let her find her peace in her body. Yet, she was so sick of being in her own head. She just wanted to shut the world out, to forget about everything but him. "Hades, I've been through Tartarus and back today. I just want you to hold me for a while! I want to make the world shut up. I don't want to care about anything, but pleasuring you for-"

"What about your pleasure?" Hades stepped forward to scoop his towel wrapped flower into his arms. He carried her through to the bedroom. Her pout and rant were as adorable as they were concerning. He understood her frustration and desire to drown everything out, but that was why he needed her to talk. "I want to make the world shut up, sweetness. Believe me, my head is a fucking angry mob most days, but we need-" he eased her to her feet. "Talk about things." Sitting on the bed, he pulled her forward and began drying her off. "According to My therapist, communication is the key to a healthy relationship."

"He does?" Persephone's voice came out at a high squeak under her towel as she dried her hair. Hades couldn't help it, as a laugh broke from his lips. "Okay, we need to talk." Satisfied she was dry, he stood long enough to toss his own towel aside and pull the covers and blankets back. 

Then he laid down. "Come sit, Little Goddess." He patted his hips, acutely aware that he was back to half mast. "Like you sat last night." Persephone practically scrambled onto him, and Hades pulled tho blanket up around her like a cloak, before taking her hands and holding them softly above his abdomen. "You're going to be mu queen. Does that frighten you?" 

"No." Persephone drew a breath, as she looked down at her love. He was so relaxed, despite how his cock was stirring against her bare rear. "Nervous, because I don't know how to be queen. I'm not even finished with school!" Now that he was talking about it, Persephone realized what it meant. "W-w-we'll have to get married." 

"Not yet, not until you're ready." Hades began rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs, and Persephone didn't know what to make of the content, amused grin on his face. "I've waited nearly two millennia to find you, so I can wait until you're ready." Persephone felt herself relax. "As for being queen, you can have as little or as many duties as you want. I've run this kingdom basically on my own. So, you can stay in school and focus on that if you want."

Persephone felt a knot of worry she didn't know existed become untied in her gut. "I do! I want to finish school." Hades squeezed her fingers, and she found the noise in her mind quiet a little. 

"Now, is there anything on your mind, and I mean anything, Little Goddess, that you've been keeping to yourself?"

Persephone drew a breath, as she tried to think of the mess in her mind. Hades knew most of it, practically all of it. Somehow, since the day they'd met, she'd found it so easy to talk to him. There was only one pressing matter, on nagging that made her feel naive and stupid and vulnerable. "Sex." _Gods, I sounded so pathetic._ She blew out the rest of her breath and squeezed his hands. He was waiting so patiently. _Breathe_ "I don't know anything. I feel so stupid and childish! I hate it. Psyche said she has a book for me, but I don't want sex to be a study I have to take." 

Hades gave a cough that she knew was a masked laugh and pulled her hands to his lips. She shivered, despite her blanket cloak, at the heat behind his kiss. "Persephone, Sweetness, you aren't stupid or childish. You're inexperienced, but that is remedied through exploration." He kissed her knuckles again, though this time his iron hard erection flexed against the swell of her rear. "Do you trust me to help you explore?" 

"Of course!" Persephone felt another knot loosen, as he opened her fingers to kiss her palm. It shot fire to her toes, and she hummed in contentment. "Deals a deal. You have to tell me what you kept secret last night, and any insecurities you're having about us." 

"Baby girl, any insecurities I had went on a long walk in Tartarus once I realized you were my queen. I'm just still in disbelief that someone like you could ever love a broken fool like me." Hades lips pressed into her other palm, snd Persephone felt her heart clench at the flash of sadness in his eyes, barely masked by hope. "I don't deserve you, but I'm a selfish man. So, if the Fates chose you as my queen, I'll keep you, for as long as you want me." 

"Now tell me, what were you hiding." 

"Sweetness. I'll scare you." Hades eyes held that same rebuttal as when he'd tried to get out of the chess game. Persephone pulled her hands away to cross her arms. She wasn't backing down. "Fine, last night I... I was thinking how perfect your neck would look with my fist around it as my other hand made you come so hard you forgot your own name." Persephone felt a freezing burn erupt in her belly, pouring a thrill she'd never experienced that was equal parts terrifying into her spine. "And in the shower, your lips like that, half parted, eyes red with lust... I wanted to fuck your pretty mouth until you listened to me." 

"Oh!" The exclamation that came from Persephone's throat was high and breathless. Hades instantly regretted his explanation. He didn't care if she would never be okay with that side of him. Just having her in his arms, knowing her love for him was true was enough. Suddenly, the room was saturated in honeysuckle and lavender, with a hint of vanilla, and he felt warm wetness against his skin where she sat. "That... that sounds... fun." 

"Yeah?" Hades felt his throat burn as she took her hands from his and slid them to his shoulders. He was mesmerized by the way she slid down, pressing her breasts into his chest, lips centimeters from his. _Oh sweet Gaia, what monster have I just unleashed?_

"Yeah, but not tonight." Her lips ghosted his as she spoke, and Hades groaned into them. He reached down, cupping her supple rear as she rocked her hips into his. "Tonight, will you go down on me?" Even under her seductive whisper, Hades could hear she was uncertain of the words. Obviously someone, probably Eros or Psyche, had explained the basics, but she had no idea what pleasure she was in for. 

"I'd be delighted." Persephone gave a squeal as Hades flipped her over, and he checked her smiling eyes for any sign of fear or hesitation. Seeing none, he pulled her arms around his neck and braced himself on his left arm. "But first, I'm going to kiss you until you forget how to breathe." At her sharp inhale, he captured her lips and lost himself in her embrace.


	18. Chapter 18

Persephone groaned at the passion behind Hades' firm kiss. They had kissed so much over the last few days, but this... this was different. She felt it through her whole body, and it was divine. Her fingers dug reflexively into his shoulders, and her hips lifted to his without thinking. He gasped, making her suck in her own breath, as he broke the kiss. "Sweetness, I forgot to ask if you were okay with me on top like-" Persephone silenced him with her lips, trying to pull him closer. 

_He's so... so... ugh_ Her mind couldn't find a word for what she was feeling. Hades tongue had explored every inch of hers, and now he was slipping his hands into her hair and cradling her face. Persephone pulled away to suck in her own breath. "Aidoneus, I want more." She managed to whimper, only to be rewarded with a nip of his teeth on her lip. She mapped his back with her hands, trying to find somewhere on his broad frame to pull him even closer. Then, his hands were on her breasts, and she mewled at the sweet, stirring, desire it fanned in her core. 

She stopped thinking, instead letting her body respond to what came naturally. She rocked against him, only to be rewarded with a throaty grunt and his hand in her hair flying to her thigh. He gave a firm rut against her of his own, and she trembled at his hard length against her leg. "Minx." He growled, and suddenly his lips were gone. She was about to protest, when her right breast was trapped in his hot, wet mouth. 

"Oh, fuck yes!" Persephone crooned, her hands flying to Hades' hair as he swirled his tongue around her nipple. It stole her breath, making her wriggle in the pure, white hot pleasure. "More! More! Please!" His tongue disappeared, and she nearly shouted her disapproval when his teeth closed on her nipple lightly and gave a gentle tug. "Oh, gods, Yes!" 

Hades let himself become less controlled. Persephone was obviously enjoying his attentions, and he loved her responses. Already petals were floating around the room, and he thrilled at the idea that he was the cause. _She's so beautifully alive_ He switched breasts, treating that one with the same rapt attention. He released her breast with a wet pop and pushed up enough to cup them in his hands. "Fuck, Sweetness, you have the most perfect breasts I've ever seen." 

"You don't have to pillow talk me, Aidoneus. I'm already-GODS!" He had given in to his addiction to her skin and captured her left breast in his mouth. "So good, I... yes." Hades chuckled at her outburst, resisting the urge to seek sweet friction against her leg. Slowly, he released her, sliding down her silken body, laving his tongue along her skin. "Oh... Aidoneus." Persephone gave a small shiver and shudder under him.

"Feels good?" He queried, knowing full well her breathless, wordless sounds meant she was. 

"Yes, gods, don't stop!" 

Already her hips and shoulders hand bloomed, and Hades wasted no time running his hands through the lush foliage, sending golden dust into the air and making her quake in pleasure. Her dripping center was leaving wet smears of honeysuckle and lavender and spring water on his skin, and he loved it. "I love how soft you are." He mused into her belly, circling her navel with his tongue. "I know I said it last night, but damn, Little Goddess. You are so mmmmmm." He placed an open mouth kiss along the pliant skin above her hip bone. "Delectable." 

"Hades... please, please." Her fingers were pushing at his head, and Hades chuckled. 

"Wait... let me worship you first." He grinned into the sweet swell of her right thigh as she fisted her hair and arched under him. Hades moaned his approval into her silken skin, kissing and nipping his way to her knee. This close, this intimate, Hades could smell Persephone's nectar, and when he switched side, to curl his tongue along her other thigh, he could see how it wet her curls and pooled to his sheets. His cock throbbed, aching to feel it coat him. 

"I think I might die if you don't touch me!" He watched in amusement, pulling tenderly at her skin with his teeth, as her fingers slipped from his hair, to her curls. Then she was gasping and shaking from her own touch.

"That's mine." He growled, playfully, very nearly diving in to nudge her fingers away with his nose. Persephone whined and wriggled her hips beneath him, sending a breeze of her addictive scent across his face. "Little Goddess." Hades caught her hand before it could tangle in his hair again. He lifted his face, finding her watching him with wild, pleading eyes. "Do you trust me?" She nodded, tugging at his grip. "Mmm good, then I want you to put those in your mouth and don't stop until they're clean." 

He watched, slowly sliding his own finger into her folds, as his sweet flower raised her fingers to her lips, and just as he grazed her dripping center, slipped them into her parted lips. She made an absolutely filthy noise, and closed her lips around them, sucking. "Yes, Kore, mmmm perfect." Hades couldn't hold himself in check at the sight. He yanked his own hand down to push her thighs open wider, and laved his tongue from the sweet spring of her entrance up to the hooded bud at her apex. 

"Hades! Oh! Yes!" Her fingers were in her hair again, and he groaned in delight at how she came alive under his lips. "Don't stop!" He had had no intention to, even as he wrapped his lips around her and gave a languid suck. "Aidoneus!" She crooned, arching under him, thick thighs squeezing his shoulders. His entire body ached to see her explode. 

Persephone couldn't help herself from crying out, from fisting Hades' hair in one hand and the sheets in the other, or from begging him for more. It just felt so wonderful, so amazing. The sounds Hades was making only drove her higher. There were growls and groans but also the sounds of someone who had just found the most delicious meal. 

His tongue and lips were relentless, a maddeningly wonderful combination of slow and teasing stroked followed by starving, determined sucks. Persephone gave up trying to predict his movements, and she lifted her head to find those scarlet eyes, thick with pleasure, watching her. The sight stole her breath, making her legs tremble. Then his tongue paused, hot breath on her parted folds, at her very core, and he pressed it gently against her, inquisitive, seeking permission. She didn't quite understand, but she knew he only wanted to make her feel pleasure. 

"Yes, Hades please, do it! Please!" Her breath caught in her throat as he growled and thrust his tongue into her, curling it up, sending a wave of pleasure that made her chest tighten in delight. His nose grazed against her, while his tongue swirled, and Persephone felt like someone poured the most delicious fire deep in her belly. "Oh... I... Please..... MORE!" She lifted her hips, trying to take more of him. _I need... I need... I don't know what, I just want more!_ Hades tongue disappeared.

"How much more?" Persephone looked down to find Hades holding her hips in both hands, and his lips and chin were glistening with her own arousal. "Kore..."

"Until I say stop." She breathed, trying to push his face back down. He gave a throaty growl, and she felt her heart race at the noise. Suddenly, her hips were pinned on the bed by his left arm across them, as his tongue worked merciless circles against her. She felt something against her center, circling like his tongue had, and she registered blindly it was his finger. She mewled as he slipped it into her, curling up as he pulled it back, then thrust it in again. "Yes!" 

Persephone felt herself tighten around him, but there was no pain, only driving pleasure. His broad finger stretched her more than his tongue, but it also reached deeper, sending a tsunami of sensations she'd never dreamed were possible. She felt herself hurtling towards that precipice, then, his finger was gone, and she stuttered, wild under the sucks and swirls of his tongue. Before she could protest, she was being perfectly stretched again, and she cried out as she realized he had added a second finger. "Yes! Don't stop.. I'm...Hades!"

Words became elusive in her mind as Persephone looked down to find his gaze smirking up at her. She tried to arch her hips, to get more of him, to feel more of the bliss he was laving on her, but he growled against her and held her flat. Her pleasure had no release, no outlet, and it built. Higher and higher, tighter and tighter, until her lower back and deep in her core was a coiled spring. Her throat was burning, and she gripped the sheets, seeing but not comprehended the flowered ivy forming on the ceiling above her. 

Her heart was racing, pounding, roaring in her ears, and then Hades' tongue pressed just so as he slipped a third finger into her with a upward thrust to a spot that seemed to connect everything in her body to a live wire. "Aidoneus!" Persephone snapped, crying his name. She couldn't breathe, couldn't feel, couldn't make sense of anything but the ecstasy in her veins. She yanked at the sheets, curling her toes, tossing her head as she tried to unleash the burning energy in her limbs. She was falling and flying, but she was sinking down, deeper. A weight was over her, keeping her from disappearing into the clouds, and her lips and tongue were coated with honeysuckle, lavender, and cognac and a campfire in the woods. 

"I love you." Hades' voice was a wet groan in her ear. Persephone forced her eyes open, finding his face inches from hers. "Too much? Was it-"

"Perfect... perfect..." Hades felt his heart swell at the goddess lying beneath him. Her swollen lips were quivering, slick from his kiss. Her whole body was trembling, as her lashes fluttered. He reveled in the shower of petals that filled the room and the stunning fresh vines and ivy that now covered the ceiling and walls. She gave a small whimper as one hand curled up to his back. "How can I feel so amazin but want more!" 

"More?" Hades felt his cock flex, almost painfully hard at being ignored. _That would have left... no... I won't compare._ "I can give more...." He had no qualms watching her, tasting her come undone like that again. He'd never seen anything so stunning, nor had he tasted anything so divine. "Hold tight." He began sliding back down her body, but was stopped by her hands on his cheeks. "What? Little Goddess?" 

"Make love to me." Her shaky whisper was as much a command as a plea, and Hades' roared in delight at the idea. He pushed off the bed, stumbling to his dresser. "Aidoneus!"

"Condoms, Sweetness." He held up the line of foils, so she could see he hadn't abandoned her.

"Eros made me buy emergency pills until my shot takes effect." Hades felt his head spin. "And I know you're safe..." he tossed the foils aside and prowled back to the bed. "Thank you... though, for thinking... he... he didn't care." He sank back over his goddess, stroking her face gently. 

"Shhh don't think about him. Just be with me." Hades tasted Persephone's lips again, pressing himself into her body. He wanted nothing more than to pull her legs over his hips and sink down into her heat. Yet, he had felt how tight she was, how his fingers and had to be worked into her. "Come here, Sweetness."

Rolling onto his back, Hades pulled her onto him, holding her upright, marveling at the roses and daisies blooming in her hair. "What... I wanted."

"Hush, Little Goddess." Hades took her hips, guiding her back, until that succulent ass bumped into his pleading erection. "I'll hold you, baby girl. You take your time...." He watched understanding light up in her eyes, and the eagerness there was intoxicating. "Take it in your hand, lift up on your-" Persephone was already moving, snd Hades groaned when she took him in hand, sliding the head of his cock through her soaked curls, until she found her center. "Now... easy.. eas-Fuck!" He dug his fingers in as his precious goddess took the tip and first inch or so in with a clench and a breathless cry.

"So... tight. I..." Persephone clung to Hades' wrists as she held herself still. It felt wonderful already, just so full. She could feel her body relax, as it adjusted to the pleasurable intrusion. Looking down, she saw Hades watching her as if hypnotized by her body. Then his hands moved her up, and she went, mewling at the stroking inside of her, but he eased her back down until she took him just a bit deeper, stretched herself more. "I..i can."

Persephone closed her eyes and let her head fall back as she rose up and sank down again. Each time she felt more and more full, impossibly stretched, and drunk on the sensations. Hades was squeezing her hips and groaning beneath her. Persephone could feel the restraint he was exerting trembling beneath her thighs, as, with a mutual cry, she found she could go no further and he was she had seated herself around his entire length. 

"Come to me, slowly." Persephone sank down to his chest, drowning in the pleasure of how just that movement stroked places of delight she'd never knew could exist, until his arms were around her. She slid her arms under his shoulders, clinging to him as he moved, somehow pushing further in, almost until she couldn't take it, and then he was sliding out. "No! I, fuck!" He thrust into her gently, and she was unable to do more than cry into his chest. 

"I love that filthy mouth." Hades grunted, pulling back and rocking up into her again, slightly faster. "This okay?" 

"Please don't ever stop." She pleaded, lifting her head to meet his gaze. He smiled lovingly at her, as their bodies moved, and she mewled in delight when he leaned up to steal her heart with a delicate kiss. "Aidoneous."

"Kore." Hades' rhythm was euphoric, and Persephone never wanted the moment to end. She clung to him, tried to rock down to meet him, only for her whole body to quake in pleasure. What felt like an eternity but also a blink passed before Hades murmured into her gasps of pleasure. "Let me know if it's too muc

Suddenly, she was on her back, and she was wrapping her legs around his waist by instinct. Hades' lips were on hers, as he braced himself with one hand tangled in her hair and the other under the pillow. Then, he truly began to move, and Persephone lost the ability to think. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She heard herself cry, as he thrust into her with grunts and growls of his own. 

"Touch yourself, Little Goddess. I need you to come for me again." Persephone slipped her hand between them, finding that delicate bud pleading for attention. "And let me hear you." 

Persephone cried out as his fingers tightened so perfectly in her hair, and his thrusts became more determined. She dug her nails into his back, trapped in his mesmerizing gaze, drunk on the gasps breaking over her face, enamored by the beads of sweat forming on his brow. "This feels so good." She keened, circling herself erratically as her body began tightening again. "I love you."

"My Queen. I love you." Persephone felt herself rising, higher, tighter, when her king kissed her with such fire she swore the entire world would burn around them. Then, she exploded. Fireworks and stars exploded behind her eyes, while her sobs of release were muffled by his tongue. Hades right hand left her hair, curling under her, holding her up, and Persephone could feel and hear him nearing his own. 

"Come for me, Aidoneus. Take me. Claim me!" The words came from some indescribable place, but Persephone didn't care. She just wanted him all. 

Hades couldn't think. Persephone was impossibly tight around him, fluttering, clenching, driving him to the edge. Her lips were blazing under his, as her thighs squeezed around him, and her hands, one sticky with their coupling, clung to his back. Her words did it, the begging for him to do what he'd longed for since she'd looked up into his eyes before taming his beast. "Kore!" With a shout, he snapped, sheathing himself completely inside of her, and his completion surged out to fill her. 

"Love you. I love you so much." Hades panted into her shoulder as she murmured the same words into his chest. He felt his arm threaten to give so he rolled to the side, pulling her onto his chest, fumbling for the sheets to cover her sweat slicked skin. His sweetness was trembling in his arms, breaths coming in broken pants, lips moving soundlessly against his skin. "Persephone." He murmured, finding enough coherency to lift her face. "Oh; sweetness! No!" Tears were coursing down her cheeks, and he felt his heart break. "No, Persephone, please don't cry." 

"I'm so happy." His pleasure returned at her words, as she pulled herself up to bury her face in his neck. "I didn't know it could feel so good. It didn't hurt, at all. All I felt was so good. I could feel how much you love me. I didn't know!"

It took a moment for his release dazed mind to understand her words, and when he did, Hades felt his own tears welling. _I hate that he hurt her. I hate that she thought it would always hurt. It's not fair._ "I'm so sorry! This is how it should have been the first time. I promise, I'll never let you feel like he did. Never." She nodded, pulling her face away, and he reached up to dry her smiling cheeks. "Told you I'd fit." He offered, wanting to erase the mentions of the monster. 

"Will it always be so good?" Persephone murmured, stroking his face as she stretched her thighs and sighed. 

"Better. I promise." He kissed her palm, before looking around the room. There was no blank space left on the floors, walls, or ceilings, as petals and ivy and flowers had coated everything. The light sparkled off dew collecting around the base boards, like diamonds. "Mmmmm, you really enjoyed yourself. We're gonna have to control that if we ever wanna have you bent over my desk." 

"Me?" Persephone snorted, and Hades furrowed his brow when she sat up. "Look who's talking." She stumbled off the bed to scoop up the dew from the size of the room. She came back, letting her hand tilt as she crawled into his arms. A pile of diamonds rained to his chest. Hades felt his cheeks burn and then they both dissolved into giggles as he flipped her over and pressed his lips into hers.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry so short and posted so late. Had a busy day!

"You did it! You finally did it!" Persephone felt herself blush as Eros landed, with Ares close behind. Pushing herself up, she closed her book and fidgeted with her jacket. "Oh! Babycakes! You should see how you're glowing!" 

"She finally did what?"

Persephone hugged her friend, even as his father dropped a bag of weapons loudly beside them. "You can tell? You didn't even touch me when you said it." She murmured, feeling the pleasant ache in her thighs and core from the two love making sessions. She'd wanted another before their days started, but Hades said she'd need her legs. "It was amazing."

"Honeybun, you and him are both glowing so brightly I could see you from the border." Eros squeezed her tight before pulling back to kiss her brow. "It's sweet really. It's rare to see two gods in love like this. Was it good?" 

"Yeah." Persephone fiddled with her sleeves as Eros gave her the 'look'. "He's so sweet and gentle, but also sorta bossy and, not rough, but determined..." 

"Oh, he's determined, but that isn't the bedroom D-word, Cinnamon." Persephone arched and eyebrow, confused by his statement. _What D word? He isn't a dick._ "I've touched him. I know what he likes, and I know that you're gonna like it to. I know your vibes." 

"Translation, Hades is a dominant sexual type, you're submissive." Ares chimed in, sliding a kopis between them and pushing the hilt into her palm. "Although, 'Dite sensed you may be switch with a preference to top females if you ever decided to leave TGOEM and to explore multiple part- FUCKER!" Ares turned to growl at his son who had just smacked him upside the head. "What was that for?"

"Stop embarrassing her. Sephe's barely had any experience, and you're going to-"

"Eros, I'm fine." Persephone wasn't sure what to think of the things Ares had said. It wasn't embarrassing, at least not how Eros must have thought. She was just a put off knowing two gods had been discussing her sexual preferences. "Wait! How did she know-"

"She touched you the night we put you in Hades' car. We can sense preferences, even in virgins." Persephone was floored. She hadn't even really harbored sexual thoughts before Hades. "Dad isn't supposed to go flaunting shit Ma tells him though." 

"Look Petal Power, Normally I wouldn't, but believe it or not, I actually care about you." Persephone gripped the kopis tighter as Ares placed a broad hand on her hair. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I'd have taken you straight to Olympus and dumped you on the Pantheon as soon as I knew where you were if I didn't." 

She stared into his vermillion eyes, feeling a bit taken aback by his sudden admission of care. Their first two meetings hadn't exactly been on the best terms, but he had already apologized for the last bad one. "So what does caring about me have to do with flaunting my inner sexual preferences that your girlfriend discovered?"

"Because, Kore Cob." Persephone groaned at the nickname. It was as childish and degrading as Little Bean. "I'm teaching you to fight, and I need your head in the action. One stray thought can be the difference between life and death." The Golden general straightened up and pointed at his son. "You, pad up." Eros snapped a mock salute and ran over to where Ares had deposited some bags.

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with a sword." Persephone took advantage of the empty space to give an experimental slash. The weapon felt odd and gangly heavy in her grip. 

"It's all stance and stamina, Cherry Blossom." Persephone tried to remain relaxed as Ares stripped off his shirt and rolled his shoulders. Having finally given into her sexual desires, she easily noticed how Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty, could have chosen him. He had his Uncle's broad towering frame, passed down from Chronos himself, with all the radiating authority of his King Father, and it blended with Hera's stunning beauty and stubborn grace. 

The battle scares were scarce, baring the cast and broken nose. His muscles rippled and flexed as he flicked his hand and materialized a sword. There was a ferocious beauty in the way he twirled it at his side. He was, as she was sure her classmates would say, an absolute snack. However, he didn't have the same, irresistible allure of Hades. She could appreciate the beauty, but Persephone knew she'd never want to touch it. It was just like Eros or Hermes, they were both deliciously stunning but not appealing to her. She belonged to Hades and him alone. Thankfully, he seemed oblivious to her examinations as he approached her. 

"Okay, so Apollo is a ranged fighter. He always has been. If you were fighting Artemis, this would be a whole other story, but her twin's not as good in close combat." Ares planted his feet in a position diagonal from Persephone, allowing her to see. 

"I remember." Persephone swallowed back the fear memory, as she recalled how he had had to resort to the sun when she put up a fight. "If he couldn't burn me-" 

"That's why if there is a battle it has to be in the arena, with the entire Pantheon present. If he tries to fry you, he'll burn everyone else." Persephone felt a flood of relief at the thought. "But don't get it twisted. If he can get to high ground, he will summon his bow." She nodded, understanding the implications. _Quick, unexpected, and hard. I can't hold back._ "Now like this." She mimicked his stance, allowing him to make corrections as Eros approached on what looked like padded armor. The word 'Asspollo' was written on the white leather with purple marker, and her friend beamed proudly. 

"Now, step." She tried her best to do as instructed, but the sword was just too cumbersome. "Yeah kopis isn't for you. Hmmmmmm" Ares plucked it from her hand and jogged to the weapons bag. 

"I dunno if I'm a weapons type fighter." Persephone sighed to Eros, but before he could respond, a xiphos was being thrust into her grip. "This feels a bit better." She stepped back, resuming the stance Ares had showed her. "Still weird, but definitely better." The short blade and hilt gave a much more manageable weight. 

"Good stance, now, strike." Unsure of what he meant, she sliced the blade as if harvesting wheat or culling choke weeds in the fields. "I said strike not slice. Here." Ares stepped in behind her, pressing his fingers over hers, and showing her how to bring the blade higher, more angled. "Again! Try to hit Eros' arms." 

Persephone did as instructed, but her body got in her way. Her arms felt wrong and awkward, making her center of gravity off. "No, this isn't me. I don't like it." She held the blade out to him. "If I have to, I'll fight with my fists." 

"Dad, you see the way she was swinging... look familiar to you?" Eros bumped her sword arm back to her, and Persephone furrowed her brow in confusion. "Come at me again, but do what feels natural." 

Shrugging, and trying to clear her head, Persephone drew a breath and stepped in for a swing. The blade was cumbersome, but she managed to clip the leather padding with a flawless horizontal slice across Eros' abdomen. The two men made appraising noises, and they shared a look. Then they both chuckled. "What? What did I do?" 

"Grandma's garden?" Eros queried, and Ares shook his head. "Two ticks." In a puff of pink and white feathers, Eros disappeared. 

"Gimme that." Persephone willingly surrendered the blade, and she stood stock still as Ares walked around her. "Hmmmm yeah, if this isn't the solution then we may need to see about hunting knives." There was another puff of white and pink feathers, and Persephone turned to find Eros holding a gold handled sickle. "Take it." She strode over, taking the familiar tool in hand. "Oh yeah... that's it. Eros, position." 

"Okay, Babycakes, come at me." Eros rolled his shoulders, and Persephone focused on the word written on his chest. Resentment, anger, and pain begin to bloom in her chest. She stepped forward, the motions coming with a familiarity she'd never considered she'd had. Grabbing Eros' arm like a bunch of barley, she hooked the blade across his armored belly. 

"Vicious little thing! If he wasn't protected, that would have been an excellent disembowelment." Stepping back, Persephone looked at Ares, waiting for her next instruction. "Again, but Eros, start dodging!" 

Persephone found soon herself lost in the training. Ares was relentless, giving her no time to rest as he taught her stance after stance, blocks, parries, and dodges. Eros' padded armor wasn't marred enough to make her feel confident in her abilities, but Ares seemed inexplicably amused by the cuts she did make. It was discouraging, as Eros wasn't even armed and barely fighting back. 

"Come on, Pinky, I know you got more power than that!" Ares barked, as Persephone made a hooked swipe in an effort to "cut off" Eros' arm. She growled her frustration, but her friend side stepped and sent her bouncing away with a shove to her chest. "It's like watching Philia trying to fight Storge! You're going up against a full fledged sun god. You need to mean it!" His words came even as Persephone hit the ground with a thud, the blade of her sickle nicking her thigh through the warm workout pants. 

"It's her first day! Stop yelling at her!" Eros snapped, as he crouched down beside her to examine her thigh. She hissed, her elbow sore from the impact, as she pushed herself up. "She's been at this for three hours!" 

"Apollo isn't going to give her a break!" 

"I'm fine." Persephone pushed herself up to her knees, ignoring the ichor dripping down her thigh. "Eros, I need to do this!" Tears stung her eyes, not out of pain even though she was sore, but frustration. "I know you care, but he's right." 

"He's treating you like a soldier. You aren't."

"I'm treating her like she has to fight tomorrow, because she may for all we know!" 

"Let her take a break!" 

"Stop arguing over me!" Persephone screamed, stomping her foot and shaking her pony tail. Her heart was racing, and her throat was dry and dusty, but she was so sick of them both. "Eros, I love you, but please, stop going easy on me." Her friend looked down at her with a look that said he thought she was pushing herself too far. It was a look Hades had worn numerous times her first day out of bed. "Ares, I do need a break to recover. I'm not built for this. My body needs to adjust!" 

Both men exchanged looks of exasperation, but it was Eros who tossed his padded helmet aside. "I'm going to go up to their house and fix her lunch. If you both aren't there in twenty minutes, I will come down here and turn on the sprinklers!" In a poof, he was gone. 

Persephone stared at Ares, who was watching her with a look she couldn't explain. "What." She snapped, spitting on the ground and ignoring the little tulip that bloomed where it landed. "I'm trying okay! What do you expect of me?! I'm not a warrior goddess." 

"Neither were our mothers, but they fought titans!" He snarled, prowling forward. Persephone swallowed, as his eyes flashed. "Stance! Now." She planted herself at an angle, light on her toes but centered, sickle in one hand, other up in preparation to block. Ares lunged, and Persephone blocked his arm. There was a flash of victory, as she brought the blade around, but Ares had her by her wrist and propelled her in the opposite direction. "Pathetic!" 

"I'm not pathetic!" Persephone felt the word stab into her, echoing in Apollo's voice in her mind. "I'm not pathetic! I can do this!" She spun, panting for breath. The ground beneath her feet was dusty but packed hard, and she ground it with her shoe. "I can beat him."

"No you can't." Ares sneered, circling her like a a wolf cornering a sheep. "You don't have the guts." Persephone opened her mouth to retort, but apparently he anticipated her rebuttal. "So you killed some mortal men and herbalized a two-bit nymph. Big whoop. I can punch a mortal and break his neck." He was behind her now, boots crunching the clay, alerting her to his position. "Everything you do is in defense, out of your control, a reflex in a moment of panic!" 

_He's right. Everything I've done except Minthe was in defense. Minthe wasn't even a fight, not really. I'm inherently stronger than she could ever be._ Persephone felt the accusations burning her stomach. "I'm trying." She ground out, refusing to let him see how his words were breaking her. 

"Not hard enough. I mean, unless you want to lose." Ares' lips pulled apart in a shocked 'o'. "Is that it then," A feral sneer crossed his face, so intense that Persephone swore she could feel it on her skin. "You want Apollo to win, don't you? You liked how he felt, huh? You want him to-"

The same surge of power that Minthe had caused exploded in her, and Persephone lunged at the golden god. A wild vine whipped out, wrapping around his arm, which was, thankfully, still casted. It was the most natural motion to follow up with the sickle blade to his throat. It curved around the muscular neck as she grabbed his other wrist with her free hand. Suddenly, Ares was in the dirt, and she had her hand on his face, thorned nails digging into his flesh as the sickle drew ichor from his throat. 

"There it is. That delicious anger. Hold it!" Persephone realized, belatedly, that she was the one making him bleed. She tried to drop the anger, to calm down and apologize, but Ares crowed out a manic laugh. "No! Hold it! Be angry!" She yanked the sickle away, ripping her fingers and nails off his skin. Her instinct was to quell to anger, to resist it as she'd been taught to do since childhood, but as she stumbled away, Persephone didn't, 

"That's right! Be angry." Ares cheered, and She felt something inside of her, like gate lock being ripped open. Every little thing she had squished down seemed to flood out at once, bubbling up in a rush of fat, scalding, angry tears. "That's my girl! Feel that rage! Now taste it, memorize it, and turn it into a weapon. Make me tremble!" 

"I'm not weak!" Persephone howled, throwing her arms wide, and she gave into that power she'd felt with Minthe and in the temple. All around her, plants pushed up through the dirt.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for short chap. This was the hades half of the last chap, but I didn't want ya'll to go without the daily update

Hades rubbed his temples at the paperwork that had piled up over the last almost week. Hecate had been doing he best, but there were decisions that depended solely on him. Luckily, a lot of the interrealm items were on hold, as the Olympic and Oceanic realms' top priority outside of basic functions was the search for Persephone. Groaning inwardly, he signed off on an extension for the current harvest and steel exchange. 

Some part of him wanted to feel guilty at wasting time and resources, but he had promised Persephone that he wouldn't expose her until she said she was ready. The rest of him was pissed at the other gods. He still couldn't get over how Persephone had been missing for three days before any had noticed. The longer he dwelled on it, the more infuriated he became. _What if she hadn't summoned me? What horrors would Apollo have done to her.?_

Hades wasn't stupid. He knew what would have happened. If he hadn't been summoned, no doubt Persephone would be claimed as Apollo's bride and be spending her life as a forced permanent groupie. He shoved his anger aside, picking up the next set of reports. "She's safe. That's all that matters." 

Beneath his feet the ground trembled and shook for a breath. Then, thankfully, it stopped. The minor earthquakes had been occurring since just before lunch, and he had already confirmed via text with Eros that it was Persephone. There had been a panicked moment when the orchard had gone into full bloom, but she had been able to speed the blossoms onto developing fruit before someone noticed. 

"Fucking Thanatos." Hades set his glasses aside as he pulled the latest records aside. Again, the silver, winged god was scraping by with the minimum necessary amount of collections. "We can't have unclaimed shades wondering about. He needs to get his shit straight. The mortal realm is going to overpopulate." _One week without pay should fix that._ He scrawled the recommended punishment across the review to be sent down to Hecate. 

"Maybe this time he'll learn." Hades took a long draw, as he scrawled his signature across a request for expansions to the housing development along the river. 

His phone dinged, signaling a text, and he picked it up. 

**Little Goddess :-* : I'm making dinner. You coming home soon?**

Hades grinned around his cigar. It was an odd, but extremely satisfying feeling to think that someone who loved him and be loved in return was waiting for him, in their home, with dinner.

**Will there be baclava?**   
**Little Goddess :-* : Sadly no, I didn't have time, and we're almost out of honey.**  
 **Damn, guess I'll work late then**

Hades took another long draw and leaned back in his seat. He watched the little ellipses wave as she type her response. He could almost picture her mischievous giggle as she leaned against the counter. 

**Little Goddess :-* : Guess I'll just have to ask Ares to stay then. He's cooling off in the pool while I wash his clothes.**

Hades sat up straight, as an image came in of her fingers dropping a dusty, ichor stained shirt in the washer came through in her next message. Jealousy reared its head, though logic told him that Persephone would never cheat, much less with his nephew. Chewing his cigar, he shot back.

**Don't play this game with me, Sweetness. You aren't ready for the consequences of losing. >;-) **

**Little Goddess :-* : Or maybe I'm curious as to what those consequences are. Hurry home. :-***

Hades snuffed his cigar as he kicked his chair back. Technically he still had twenty minuted before leaving, but if he waited any longer he wasn't going to be able to make it through the lobby. Shrugging on his coat, Hades pushed out into the foyer of his personal floor. "I'm leaving for the day. You can be back tomorrow if you bring coffee." He huffed at the temporary PA that had replaced the one who had quit the day before. "If Hecate asks, tell her I had pressing matters at home." 

He raced home, not caring that he broke every one of his own damn traffic laws, and barely got his keys out of the ignition once in his garage. He could hear the dogs in the play area, and Hades thanked Gaia they weren't inside. He only wanted to be ambushed but one individual right then. Taking care, he shed his coat in the living room, along with his shoes and socks. The smell of gemista carried through the house, along with the soft sound of the radio. 

Hades crept towards the kitchen, peeking in to find Persephone wearing one of his white workout shirts, over a pair of black, lacy stockings and what appeared to be black lingrie of some sort under. Her hair was in a damp mess down her back, but the brief glimpse of her face showed she'd done her makeup. The little goddess was pulling a tray from the oven, while singing along. Through to the dining room, he could see the table set for two with candles lit and wine chilling. _Mmmmm, seems I interrupted her mid-seductive dinner plans_

Hades prowled forward, taking car to move with his reputed stealth. He waited until she had placed the tray down and tossed the oven mitt aside before wrapping his arms around her as he murmured. "Can't decide what smells more delicious, you or the food." He should have expected her reaction, but he didn't.

Persephone gave a loud shriek, as she jammed her elbow back into his gut. Hades lost his wind just as she ducked under his arm, wrapped his feet in vines, and had him on his back with a thud. She was on his chest, fingers on his face, eyes wide and scarlet, when she froze. "Oh... oh my... Hades!" He groaned when his body belatedly registered the pain of being slammed. "I'm so sorry. You scared me half to death! Are you okay." 

"Yeah." He huffed, reaching up to cup her appalled face. A surge of pride filled him as he realized she had reacted so quickly, without a thought. Obviously some of her training had paid off. Her worried expression was all too adorable though. "And feeling much better..." he trailed his fingers along her lace covered calves. "I shouldn't have snuck up on you." He purred, as Persephone's hair became interspersed with tiny white blossoms. 

"You were just trying to be romantic." She made to wriggle away, but Hades held her in place and slid his hand into her hair and pulled her down for a kiss. Her sweet lips tasted of wine, and her natural scent of fresh spring flowers was heavy in the air. In an instant, she was relaxed, and Hades could feel his stress melting under her delighted noises. 

The sound of a lighter flicking came from dining room, and the scent of herbal cigarettes filled the air. At first, Hades thought he imagined it, but then Persephone froze. He made the connection as soon as the amused voice filled the air. "I've never been much of a voyeur. So, do you mind waiting until after We eat dinner." 

“You know, Bunny, you could knock!” Hades sighed, pushing himself up as Persephone’s face paled.


	21. Chapter 21

Persephone felt her entire body run cold as Hades moved her off of him slowly so he could stand. Shortly after, she was on her feet beside him. Hera was seated at what she had intended to be Hades' seat, sipping his wine. "Hera... I mean Your Majesty... I can-"

"Queens don't call other Queens your Majesty." Hera chuckled, ashing her cigarette on a napkin before taking a puff. "And I don't need an explanation. I'be been following the pair of you for a few days." She stood, coming into the kitchen to stand in front of Persephone, and Persephone did her best to understand the guilt playing across the golden queen's blue eyes. 

"I'm gonna go plate the food." Hades murmured before leaning in to kiss her cheek. For a fleeting moment, Persephone was afraid that Hera was going to force her back to Olympus. Then, she was being enveloped in a tight hug, with Hera's hand free against the back of her hair. 

"I'm so, so sorry, Persephone. I should have made you tell me that afternoon I brought you over for a job assignment." Her whispered apology touched something inside of Persephone, the remainder of the shame she'd shoved inside of a box deep in her core. "I felt your pain, how broken you were, But my vision didn't show me who. I'm so sorry we couldn't protect you from Apollo a second time." She made to pull back, but Persephone clung to Hera. 

"Don't let go yet." It was like hugging Mama or the older sister she never had. For as much as Ares and Eros, or Hades and Hecate had reinforced it wasn't her fault, that it was Apollo's fault, some part of Persephone had been clinging to the idea that she could have fought harder, resisted more. The ignored fear and shame that everyone else would shun and blame her began to crumble. "It's not your fault, Hera. You couldn't have known because I didn't want anyone to." 

"I'm just glad Aidoneous has managed to keep you safer than myself or my asshole of a husband could." Persephone finally loosened the embrace so she could see Hera's mascara was smudged. As the blue eyed Queen wiped her cheek and relit her cigarette, Persephone touched the hair above her ear and smiled, letting an Alstromeria bloom. Hera pulled it out, smiled, then tucked it back. "Beautiful friendship?" 

"Of course, and Aidoneous has been wonderful." Persephone looked back to see him mixing drinks at the kitchen bar. "More than. We're together now." She felt her cheeks flush, as she realized the smell of smoke was the same as the night she and Hades had first been intimate. "Which you saw already." 

"And heard, and bullied out of him was posing as a priestess of Hecate." Hera's smile was positively wicked, and Persephone let a wild giggle escape.

"I knew I smelled your cigarettes!" Hades called, sending Hera into giggles as well. Persephone led her back over to the table even as Hades appeared with her wine and a gin and tonic. "I'll bring dinner out, Sweetness." His finger stroked her jaw and Persephone felt herself melt inside. 

"Hurry. I have news." Hera's cigarette disappeared, snd Persephone sipped her wine. She felt herself perk up at the sound of news, but Hera's face was grim. "I've been spying on Apollo too." 

Hades reappeared with their plates sitting down to her right so Hera would take the position as head of the table. She knew it should have been his seat, as King, but in doing so he had given her the respect of a foreign dignitary. "Out with it, Bunny." The nickname was so odd, given Hera's status as Queen for nearly two thousand years, and yet, somehow, the simple word made her glow like an innocent child again. 

"Were you aware he took pictures of her when he raped her." They both nodded as she began picking up her fork. "He's trying to get a mole at Underworld Corps to plant them on your private server." 

"What?!" Persephone shot up, her rage boiling instantly. 

"Then he plans on acting like you sent him the pictures." 

"You mean like this." Persephone watched as Hades pulled out his phone and showed it to Hera. The Queen gave a wild laugh. "Already tracked the phone. It was a burner found destroyed at Olympus University. The Furies have it as evidence." 

"From what I understand, the mole plans on uploading them during the updates tomorrow night. That means you have to act tomorrow before he can refute this." Persephone felt her stomach clench in worry. _Tomorrow? I'm not ready. I can't face him yet. I need more time_ Hades swore, but Hera continued. "I can summon the Pantheon, but everyone is so in chaos over this. If Persephone is going to act by surprise, this is it." 

"I'm not ready." Persephone looked between them. Hera had a deviously clever look, but Hades was watching her with a look she couldn't comprehend. "I'm not strong enough." 

"You are definitely strong enough, but that isn't my worry. My worry is influence. Apollo has Dionysus, the Muses, snd the Maenads. You have no formal alliance, and Hades can't just broker one without an official petition.... unless." She looked over at him, and Persephone watched ad Hades' colors changed to nearly primal blue. 

"No! I told her she could wait!" 

"And what happens if he calls them in? Huh? Will you leave her without an army? The shades from the last campaign have been ferried." Hera looked over at her, and Persephone felt her throat freeze at her words. "But as Queen, you could have access to every god, goddess, nymph, halfbreed, snd shade who owed Allegiance to Hades." 

"No, she said she wanted to wait! I will petition an official alliance-" 

"How, without revealing you have her?" Persephone watched as Hades sank back into his chair. The silence was oppressive, and she felt like angry bees were swarming her mind. 

_He wants to marry me. I can see it. He's holding back, reining himself in for my comfort. Perhaps this is our destiny, has always been our destiny_. Persephone drew a shaky breath, drawing his gaze to her. "I'll do it, but only on one condition." His eyes lit up like shooting stars, lips parting as if to speak. "Later, when this is settled. I want you to ask me to marry you on your terms." She held her breath, watching his eyes drink in her face. "Aidoneous..."

"I was going to regardless." Persephone watched as Hades' hand began to emit a soft glow against the table, but before she could ask, it was gone and he was pocketing something.

"I can see who's going to be the logical one in this marriage." Hera looked infinitely smug over the whole ordeal, as she took a bite of her food. "Mmmm after dinner, I'll officiate the binding. This is delicious."

_I'm gonna be married. I'm going to be Queen._ Persephone forced herself to eat, but all she could do was stare at the man across from her. Hades was staring right back. "So what's the plan? I mean, for tomorrow?" She needed to know something, anything, to keep her mind distracted. 

"I'll summon the Pantheon at mid morning. I'll say I have knowledge on your whereabouts, and however you two want to handle from there is your show." Hera took a sip of her drink, and Persephone swallowed her food. An idea was taking root in her mind, but she wanted to let if flourish before revealing it. 

Hades couldn't keep his heart from racing. _Married.... as soon as dinner's done, I'm getting married._ It wasn't how he'd imagined it happening, ever. He'd always pictured an intimate ceremony in the mountains or along a cliff, with Hera presiding in all her splendor, and his brothers making jokes as they waited for his bride to appear. Persephone was staring at him and her food, uncharacteristically silent. 

Yet, he could tell her mind wasn't silent. A circlet of almond blossoms and petunias were blooming and wilting in her hair. Hades wasn't ashamed to admit he had decided to start researching meanings. The combination meant thoughts of war _She's planning her moves. I have to let her take the lead on this._ He downed the last of his wine as Hera was sent a text. There was a loud bang, and the room filled with incense smoke. 

"What?!" Hecate was standing in the dining room,looking like she'd just left a yoga class. "You're getting married?!" Persephone yelped in shock, but Hades just shot Hera a an exasperated look. "When did you propose? I haven't even commissioned her throne yet! Why is Hera trlling me before-" She froze, as if just registering Hera was there. 

"We needed a witness." Hera shrugged, and Hades turned to look at his second in command. 

"Wait, you mean like now. Right now, you're getting married." 

"We don't have a choice. It isn't going to be a whole ceremony, and nobody will know until tomorrow." Hades stood, resting his hand on her shoulder. "And once we're done, you get to play find the industrial spy." Her eyes lit up with a wicked gleam, and he knew he'd gotten back on the witch goddess' good graces. 

"Kore, are you-"

"Absolutely." Hades felt his heart soar as she gave him a shy smile and stood as well. She was so brave, it made him wonder how anyone could ever have doubted she was less than the Queen she was about to become. Nudging Hecates' arm, Hades passed her the rings he had hastily fashioned from his raw gems and unrefined precious metals. 

"The lounge, I think." Hera took the lead, and Hades found Persephone's small hand, and together they followed her through the house. 

Hera was standing in front of the glass wall that overlooked the orchard, her radiant diadem blazing with breathtaking beauty. She nodded at him, and Hades let his own crown be summoned. He was exceedingly thankful he had already set to work on Persephone's diadem, though it wasn't completely finished. The onyx and beryl stones hadn't been evened out or polished to a flawless finish. It would have to do for now.

"Join hands." Hades took Persephone's fingers in his, ghosting his thumb over her knuckles. All around them, soft white petals were beginning to fall, and the tiny goddess before him had never looked so radiant. Her kunzite eyes were reflecting Hera's glow, and he felt tears prick his eyes. 

A scroll appeared in Hera's hands, as she began to read. "Today, Aidoneus Hades and Kore Persephone have come together to join their hearts in marriage." Persephone's smile was infinitely soft but self assured, and Hades hoped she could see how happy she made him in his eyes. "While they come together in a way none were prepared for, It is unmistakable that this is the destiny the Fates wove for their love."

There was a breath of silence, as Hera seemed to contemplate something. Hades wondered if she expected them to come up with their own vows. Luckily for his suddenly wordless mind, she made the decision for them. He knew, when they were ready to renew their vows, she would make it more flourished. For now, they were on a schedule. 

"Aidoneus Hades, you have come today seeking Kore Persephone as your bride. Do you swear on the Fates to love her and cherish her, to care for her, to bring no shame to her reputation, and to be faithful to her? Do you promise to crown her your Queen, to let her rule as your equal, for as long as you both shall live?" 

"I do." Hades felt the finality of his words resound in the air between them like an ancient drum sounding a call. A single tear dripped from Persephone's lovely eye, her smile broad, everything about her countenance in utter joy, as Hera turned to her.

"Kore Persephone, Aidoneus Hades comes today to offer himself and his kingdom to you. Do you accept his offer? Do you swear on the Fates to love him and cherish him, to care for him, to bring no shame to his reputation, and to be faithful to him? Do you swear to rule at his side as Queen, his help meet, and his equal, so long as you both shall live."

"I do." Persephone's voice sung out like the purest crystal tapped with a hammer. Hades felt his own cheeks dampen as Hecate stepped forward and held out her open palm. Quickly, he took her rings, before watching in adoration, and hesitancy, as Persephone picked up the masculine band. 

"To symbolize your union, you will place the rings on the third finger of the left hand, for it is there that the heart draws power." Hades took Persephone's hand in his, swallowing anxiously as he slid the hastily made rings onto her finger. She gave a small gasp, and he prayed it was of approval. He kissed her hair when she leaned in to slide his ring on. 

"By my right as Queen of Olympus and Goddess of Marriage, I do sanctify this union. What I have joined together no being or beast may severe. You may kiss your bride." Hades wasted no time. He pulled his new wife flush against him, catching her lips with all the passion he could muster. The smell of honeysuckle and lavender filled the room, and he swore he heard Hecate sniffle. When they parted, Hera nodded to Hades. 

"Kore, my Persephone." Hades held his fingers out, summoning the precious object from his study. He watched Persephone's lips part in a gasp at the diadem. It was nearly identical to Hera's and Amphitrite, but solid black, with the light reflecting reddish from her pink skin. "While you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore." He rested the diadem on her hair, and the air shook with a resounding boom. 

Beneath his feet, the ground shook. Cerberus howled beyond the house, the lights flickered, and Hades watched as Hecate dropped to one knee and bowed her head. Persephone's eyes glowed mahogany and red, as the aura of her inner being shone scarlet around her. His chest grew heavy and hot as she turned her eyes to him. "I will rule as one with my King." Then she reached over to touch Hecate's head. "Don't bow to me, Hecate. You're one of my oldest friends." 

"Sister, Brother." Hera's self satisfied tone made Hades turn. "You must sign the oath, and Hecate will bare witness." She produced a pair of white, peacock quills, as well as an empty inkbottle. "Join your ichor." 

Hades punctured his thumb, squeezing the ichor into the bottle, and then he held it under Persephone's own dripping hand. Together, they dipped their quills and signed their vows with the immortal blood. 

"This is going to be worth the headache." His friend chuckled, before signing her name. "Congratulations." 

"Now, Hecate and I will leave you to the final part of the wedding." He snorted as Persephone gave Hera a confused look. "Consummation, Sister." Then, in a burst of golf and incense smoke, the women were gone. 

Persephone stared back down at her ring in awe, as Hades guided her to the sofa to apply pressure to her bleeding thumb. She didn't think she'd ever seen anything so stunning. The bands of both her rings were solid gold, but roughly molded and formed. It gave it a rustic look, almost like bark, as they were narrow enough that they didn't overwhelm her petite finger. 

The stones were diamonds, of that she had no doubt, but they were all raw, uncut, and unpolished. It looked like the gold had been still melted when they were placed, before allowed to harden to keep them in place. It was nothing like the expensive rings or flawless jewelry others usually wore. They was pure, but not perfect, unfinished, but the highest of quality, like her new husband. It was obvious Hades had made them just before the ceremony. She realized that they were the source of the glow.

"You hate them I'm sorry. I'll buy you nicer ones. I just didn't want you to-" She placed a finger over his lips before kissing her wedding rings softly. 

"I adore them, and I don't ever want you to buy me replacements." She watched as his eyes lit up, and Persephone realized that he had once made someone something like this, and they'd been cruel about it. "They're perfect." She moved her finger before sliding her arms around his neck. "Now, take me to bed, Husband."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Persephone's Wedding Set](https://i.etsystatic.com/7295001/r/il/4be2e6/2141116799/il_570xN.2141116799_atlx.jpg)


	22. Chapter 22

Hades watched as Persephone touched the final coating of lipgloss and closed the tube . The sheer black glitter didn't mask her full, kiss swollen, passion bruised lips. If anything, it accentuated them, making them as tempting as just ripened cherries. "I'm afraid." She whispered, meeting his eyes in the mirror. 

"I know. I know." Hades dropped to his knees beside the chair she'd brought in to sit in. _I need to order her a vanity. I should also probably work an expansion on the closet._ He took her left hand in his, as she fiddled with the brooch holding her chiton in place. "You just have to remember that you aren't alone, and you can face him, if he tries to fight." 

"And he can't touch me like that again, not without incurring the wrath of a kingdom." Those carnation colored eyes still looked hesitant, but Hades couldn't blame her. It had been two thousand years, and his own monster still haunted him. "I've never felt as happy as I do here." She kissed him softly, making his heart skip, and then he had to laugh. "What?" 

"I was just thinking. Our first phone conversation, you said you didn't want to bother me or barge in." She nodded, and Hades hoped the cause of the phone call wouldn't taint what he was about to admit. "All I could think was 'I would pay you a salary to barge in on every aspect of my life.' I didn't understand how I could feel that, but now..." 

"Now I'm your wife." Her eyes danced below the dark diadem that flickered to life. A mischievous smile pulled up her lips, making his core clench. "My salary isn't going to be monetary-" Hades phone blared out Zeus' ringtone. 

"Hold that thought." He crossed to pick up his phone, hitting answer. His heart was pounding, because he knew what the call would be. "It's too early to pull out out of some-"

"Hera's back." Zeus' voice was a quagmire of relief of trepidation. "Showed up this morning, said she was assembling the Pantheon." Hades didn't mean to snort, but honestly, Zeus' panic was amusing. "The whole Pantheon, even the minor deities." 

"Did she say why?" Hades flashed Persephone the a thumbs up, and he watched her cross the room to the weapons laid out neatly on the bed.

"Hades.... she said she has news on Persephone. She won't explain, just said the entire Pantheon has to be present." 

"I'm on my way. I'll summon Hecate and Thanatos." No sooner did he hang up than his and Persephone's phones blared an emergency broadcast noise. 

"Hera's really going for drama." The little queen giggled, as the words flashed on the screen: **All deities of every realm to the Pantheon Arena. Failure to appear will result in Hera's wrath**

"Ready?" He queried, handing her his helm. She had already hooked her other accessories on herself, and she took the helm from his fingers and nodded. "Remember the plan. I already told Hera what your signal word is." 

"We've got this." She went up on her toes, and He kissed her softly. Then she slipped his helm on and vanished from view. Only her soft hands on his arm revealed her presence. "Ready." 

Hades stepped into the ether, shifting them both to the Pantheon arena. He felt her fingers slip from his, as he approached his brothers. Amphitrite was with Hera, where the women we're whispering frantically. He gripped his bident, as the other kings turned to face him. "Persephone..." he said simply, looking between them. 

"I dunno, bro." Poseidon ruffed his hair as was his normal habit. "Hera isn't talking to anyone." The golden queen was standing stalwart before her throne, ignoring even Ares, her favorite son, when he tried to approach her. The seats of the main deities were filling fast, as the lesser ones began piling into the stadium benches. Here and there a few demigods and hybrids, those granted permission to mass gatherings, were visible, clinging to their weapons. Apollo was settling into a seat next to Artemis, who looked like she hadn't slept in days. The sun gods golden eyes met his, as his lips pulled back in a smirk. _Look away before you ruin it, Aidoneous_

"She just barged in this morning, told me off for putting bacon on Hebe's plate when she prefers sausage, said she had news about Persephone, and said she was summoning the Pantheon. She's been standing there ever since." Zeus looked genuinely worried, as if afraid his wife was going to turn her wrath on him. "She won't even look at me. This isn't my fault." 

"You ignored her visions, Zeus. How many times will it take before you learn?" 

"Silence!" Hera's voice cracked like a whip through the air, as the final seat was taken. "Kings, take your thrones!" She cut her eyes to them, and Hades heard his youngest brother gulp. 

"She's extra pissed, this can't be good" Poseidon whispered, rushing to join Amphitrite who had just shooed Hebe off her lap. Hades settled into his throne, seeing Eros and Ares exchanging nervous glances. _We should have warned them. It's too late now._ Eros looked up at him, and Hades raised a finger in an attempt to ease his visible worry.

"As all of you know, the last few days our main priority has been the search for Persephone, Goddess of Spring." Hera's voice was lethally calm, and Hades knew full well that her anger was only aimed at two people in attendance. Apollo didn't seem the least bit worried, if anything, he looked triumphant. "I have been following my own leads, and I have news. I have found evidence that is key to her whereabouts." 

Hades leaned forward in his throne, fixing the full force of his glare on Apollo. The purple god was now sitting up straight, looking between him and his stepmother. Artemis, beside her twin, covered her mouth with one hand and clutched his golden chiton with the other. Hades refused to let the smirk playing on his lips show through. It was evident that his dick nephew hadn't been expecting this. _Just wait, fucktard. Your ass is crashing down._

"When Persephone arrived in Olympus, she was on her way to becoming a maiden goddess, one of our most respected orders." Hades watched as Hestia and Athena both tensed. He could see their minds whirring as they begun to understand the implications. Hestia turned her face to him, brow furrowing, but Athena was turning a lethal tungsten color as she cut her eyes to the crowd. The owl on her lap, Ariston judging by his distinct black plummage, rustled his wings, drawing her back to a calmer state. "The night of the Panathea, I sensed nothing but joy and a touch of homesickness in her soul. The next night, I had a vision of a woman in distress. The following afternoon, Persephone came for her work study assignment, and I sensed she had been raped." 

The women in the arena began to cry out. Artemis and Athena both gave battle cries, as Aphrodite surged to her feet, demanding blood of the culprit. Hades found his gaze locked in permanent battle with Apollo, whom Artemis had ignored as she raised a hunting knife in fury. 

"Silence!" Zeus thundered, and the crowd grew into a tense quiet. Hades could feel the accusations turning on him, which was no surprise. Everyone had always viewed him as a danger or threat. "My Queen, these are serious-" A peacock quill imbedded itself in his earlobe, and Zeus cleared his throat and plucked it out. "Continue." 

"She did not make any accusations to me that day, but as was my duty as her Queen, I began compiling a list of men who had been alone with her." She looked pointedly at Eros, then Hermes, then Apollo, and finally Hades. He held her sapphiric gaze, nodding at her in approval. "When she was discovered missing, I knew that I must seek out the truth alone. I had to work in secret. I had my suspicions on who the culprit was, but finding evidence was difficult."

Hades held his chin high, as Apollo began to clench his jaw. The god's golden bow appeared beneath his hand on the arm of his counsel seat. Hades tightened his grip on his bident, wondering just how long Hera was going to drag this out. Artemis' head seemed to be out of control as her eyes flashed from the kings to Eros and Hermes, but never to her twin. 

"In my searching, I found statements of the rapist, who is also the person responsible for attacking her in her own home." Hades never let his glare falter. He didn't want to miss it, the moment, the revelation for all to see. "As well as evidence that she was not kidnapped, but taken into sanctuary when she summoned help during the brutal assault." 

"Who! Who did this?!"  
"Names!"  
"Accuse the defiler!" 

Throughout the arena people were beginning to shout. Demi-gods were shifting to stand beside each other, as minor gods and goddesses stood in the stands to be heard. 

"The perpetrator of these horrible acts is not my right to reveal." Hera held up her hand, and Hades felt his heart jump into his throat as a single black arrow, fletched with the blue feathers of his royal guard, imbedded itself beside Apollo's face in the stone of his chair. 

"I was asleep in my bed, when you came in." Persephone's voice rang out, and Hades watched as the sun god ripped the shaft free of his seat, and Artemis jumped from her seat into Athena's shocked arms. "Artemis was gone. You forced me back into my pillows, kissing me, saying I had been leading you on." 

Hades felt a proud smile fill his face as his Queen removed her helm, revealing herself atop the highest pillar of the Pantheon Arena. Her black chiton, cut short in the style of her sister in law's own battle garb, rustled in the breeze, held down by the bow in her hand and the golden sickle on her hip. She held out his helm, and Hades summoned it to his knee as his brothers turned their shocked gazes upon him. 

"I told you I couldn't. That I was training to be a sacred virgin. You didn't care! You kept pulling my clothes off, forcing your lips onto me, your tongue in my mouth." Persephone felt all the rage she'd been holding back boil over. She could feel and hear the disbelief of the arena, but she dared not look anywhere but her monster's face. "I was so scared and confused, and you wouldn't stop forcing me into the bed. Your eyes glowed, blinding me. You told me I had to make an exception for someone as glorious as you. I kept refusing. I was afraid. I was confused. You were bigger than me, and nobody was coming to answer my loud rejections. I stopped fighting, because I didn't know what else to do." 

She let another arrow fly, knowing she would never match him in accuracy, but wanting everyone to understand that she was done cowering. She had come to accuse and sentence. It hit the arm of his chair, even as he stood to face her. "I was so scared. It hurt so much. I thought I could just take it in silence, could close my eyes and wait for it to be over, but then you took pictures!" She didn't flinch as Alecto shimmered to existence behind Apollo, shoved her hand into his robes, and pulled his phone out. Before the god could stop her, she was running across the arena to hold the phone up. "Then, you left me there. You violated me, broke and bruised me, then you kissed me hard and told me to tell noone. Then you left, as if I was nothing more than a toy you were tired of." 

"Lies!" Apollo bellowed, snd Persephone let another arrow fly, landing just in front of his feet. "You said okay!" 

"You wouldn't let me say no!" Persephone felt her eyes burn, could taste the chill of the Underworld's air on her tongue, knew her primal self was stirring. "The next day you waited until Artemis was gone. You came to my school, you bullied me into your car! I was so alone, so afraid. I told you to let me go, as soon as I realized you were going to do it again. You wouldn't pull over! I screamed at you, but you mocked me! The only reason I escaped is because Cerberus could feel my fear." She let another shot ring out, this time he side stepped it. "When he showed up, you ran like a coward, but I didnt go home until Artemis said she was there!" 

"Lying bitch! You wanted me!" 

"Then, a few nights later, I was invited to dinner with Hera and Zeus. It was last minute, and I didn't tell anyone. Hades drove me home, and it was so late. You were there, again! When nobody else would have been there. This time, I wasn't alone. Hades knew I was afraid of you, and without me asking he confronted you. When you wouldn't leave, he had Poseidon drag you off!" 

Poseidon gave a bellow of rage, as did Eros. Apollo looked murderous. Persephone could see the same lethal intent in his eyes as the morning he attacked her. Persephone let her thirst for vengeance fill her, refused to cower as she had before. "Then, a week ago, you came over for breakfast. You made crepes. I had told Eros what had happened, and it was through him that I realized none of what happened was my fault. It gave me strength to stand up to you, when Artemis and Hermes left." 

Persephone saw Hermes' and Artemis share looks of horror, and she almost felt guilty. "I rejected you. I told you that I was not going to be your victim again, that Eros had confirmed what you had done was wrong, that it was rape. You hit me. You knocked me down, you dragged me by my hair to my room." She felt the angry tears leak out, as she drew back and let another arrow blindly free. It stuck half a foot to his right, barely missing Athena. "This time, I fought back! I fought back! I was winning, until you turned the sun on me!" 

Apollo had his own bow in hand, but he wasn't drawing it back. She knew he was waiting, if she drew first blood he could attack. Persephone had one arrow left. "Then, as I lay burned and bruised and bleeding out, you ripped my pants off. You tried to take me again, but I summoned help. I summoned Hades, and you ran like the coward you are!"

"You scandalous bitch!" Persephone notched her arrow, as his one hand went to the quiver at his hip. "You cock teasing whore! You think anyone is buying these stories? Huh! I told you all Hades had her! He's poisoned her mind, made her another little slut to wet his cock with, like that gold digging nymph!" Persephone let her final arrow loose, watching as it sailed just past his ear. "Come down here, you b-rated cunt!" 

"Slut? B-rated?" Persephone laughed as she shook her hair back. "Oh, you keep underestimating me." Persephone leapt into the air, hovering above the arena, fueling herself on the power of the realm she had become one with the night before. "Shall I call Themis and the Horae forward to judge my words, or will you face me in battle?" 

She had no doubt what his choice would be. If Themis and the Horae found him guilty, he would face judgment of the council. If he conquered her in battle, then her accusations were false and Persephone would be forced to compensate him. The arena grew still, but she ignored them. She needed to focus, and any distractions were dangerous. "Battle! You challenged! I choose the type!" 

"Then choose!" Persephone lowered herself but didn't land, casting her useless bow to Ares who was staring at her like he wanted to put her over his knee and spank sense into her. Eros was crying openly, as Psyche and Aphrodite clung to his arms. 

"Here and now, no champions, team combat. Last being standing determined winner." Apollo sneered, leaping over the small wall, hovering even with her. "I call my sworn allies: Dionysus, his Maenads, and my Muses!" She watched, as even though the raving nymphs and artistic goddesses exchanged looks, they still came down the stairs after the drunken god, to stand below Apollo. "Now, I may be wrong, but you haven't petitioned any formal alliances." The arena was going nuts. 

She could hear and see Ares and Athena both struggling to climb into the arena, but being restrained by Hestia and Aphrodite respectively. Artemis was being held back by Hermes and Hecate. Persephone wanted to look to Hades, but that would mean she'd have to look back and take her attention away. It would make her appear weak. Nobody was listening to Hera or Zeus' call for order.

Persephone gave a wild laugh as she drew her sickle. Concentrating hard on her new ability, she forced her diadem into existence, and shook her hair back. "No, I have an army." She threw out her arms, reaching for the strings to the souls of the undead army. In an instant, she felt them shimmer to sight around her, and the arena shook as Cerberus came galloping in to stand below her in his guardian glory. 

The arena fell silent, as she felt the understanding flood through the observers. The words Queen and Married began to flitter around the arena like crickets, breaking the silence. Persephone let her fangs show in triumph, curling her fingers as her vines whipped in the air around her. For the first time, she watched as fear filled Apollo's face.


	23. Chapter 23

"What's the matter?" Persephone giggled, as she watched Apollo try to count the two platoons of shade warriors beneath her. She had been very specific when she'd said army, because it allowed her to call in replacements if they were banished back to the underworld. Cerberus was snarling behind them, all three heads as menacing as the day he'd first confronted Apollo for her. "Don't worry, those are for your friends. This." She spun her sickle with a wide grin. "Is for you. Scary, isn't it, realizing I'm not as powerless as you wanted to believe." 

"I should have claimed you as my bride and put an end to your cock teasing bitch behavior." Apollo snarled, but she could see he was intimidated by her man power. "Whatever will your mother think about you fucking me and then marrying him? Her innocent little flower is a slut." 

At the mention of Demeter, Persephone snapped. She lashed out with a vine, ripping a thorn across Apollo's face. "Oh fuck!" Dionysus yelped, as ichor splattered onto Apollo's arm. 

"Oh fuck is right!" Persephone extended her sickle as the Muses surged forward at Apollo's signal. Her soldiers surged forward, but Persephone's goal was Apollo. She lunged at him as his arrow knocked in the string, and with a scream that came from some untold recess of her core, she hooked her sickle at the top of the bow and sliced. With a metallic rip, the string snapped, sending them flying apart. 

Persephone surged back to her feet, twirling her sickle again. She could feel the life of every plant on Olympus vibrating through her feet, the cold hum of every shade as they separated the Muses and the Maenads. She felt powerful. "I'm not afraid of you." She hissed, as Apollo pulled two large hunting knives from inside of his chiton. _Apollo is shit at close combat. Get close, but be mindful of his knives. They were a gift from Artemis, and he has a mean backslash._ Ares voice rang in her mind. 

"You should be." Apollo sneered, and he ran forward. Persephone dodged, ducking low and making sure to not come up behind him. As she rolled to his side, she watched as he brought his right knife back with a yowl before looking over his shoulder. "Impossible." 

Persephone gave in to herself. She stomped her right foot, sending vines shooting up from the bricks to wrap around his ankles. All around her, she could hear her shades quelling the other combatants. Her entire body burned with a sense of purpose unlike any she'd ever felt, and she lunged at Apollo, digging her diamond like thorn nails into his biceps, making him drop one knife, and sliced her sickle across his brow with a manic laugh . His roar of pain was split only by him head butting her, sending her flying back. 

The sky above her turned to stars, as her head connected with a pillar, and she felt her sickle bounce away. Then, their was a hand on her throat and a heavy weight on her chest. Persephone heard her name on Hades' lips, felt the blade trailing up her inner thigh like a mockery of a lover's caress. "How much would he want you if this part is disfigured." Apollo's face swam into view as he spoke, and Persephone roared in defiance, sending vines from her hair to wrap around his throat, and she watched as he flew across the arena to crash into the bottom step of Zeus and Hera's dias. 

The pain registered in her thigh belatedly, but Persephone channeled the pain and hot ichor into power. "Monster!" She screamed, kicking his other knife aside as she scooped up her sickle. "I'm tired of you haunting my dreams! I'm tired of feeling your fingers on my skin! She sobbed out her rage, as more red, thorny vines tightened around his face. She didn't realize the arena battle had grown silence until only Cerberus' growls and Apollo's muffled shouts were the only noise. 

"You think you're so special. You think because you're Zeus' favorite, because mortal women throw themselves at you, that you're special!" She threw her arms wide, commanding the vines to spread his legs and arms wide. Apollo's eyes glowed, and the air grew hot. "You burn me, and you burn everyone!" She stomped her feet again, and flowering vines shot out of the ground, replacing the ones from her hair, effectively suspending him in a cage. All that was visible were his eyes, groin, and hands. 

"Persephone! Enough! You've subdued him!" Zeus called, but she didn't listen. No, Persephone had ideas. She stalked forward, raising her sickle to lick the blade clean of ichor and dust. 

Grabbing his chiton, Persephone cut the fabric to expose Apollo's flaccid length. "I should take this." She growled, curving the sickle underneath, in the gap where his shaft met his testicles. "Take your manhood like you grandfather to his father's." His muffled shouts became wild, as Zeus and others demanded her to stop, to render him unconscious. _Don't let this turn you into a monster like me._ Hades' voice was in her mind. Hadn't she chastised him for this exact behavior? 

_Don't you deserve to have revenge._ A voice much like Hades', but infinitely darker, broken and dry, murmured. She was in Tartarus for a flash, and she shuddered. 

_I'm no monster and neither is Aidoneus._

"But I won't." Persephone lowered her sickle, stepping back. Looking around, she found the Muses, Maenads, and Dionysus backed into the walls, their weapons long abandoned. Cerberus was standing solidly behind her, three jowls frothing, all six eyes glowing for god flesh. "Because I'm not you. I'm not a monster." She hung her weapon on her hip and reached up to straighten her diadem. 

She wasn't ready to surrender the rage yet. She needed it to keep her from caving to the panic and pain in Apollo's eyes. "King Zeus, Apollo is a citizen of your kingdom. The crimes he committed on me were done in your kingdom, while I was a citizen." She looked up at the purple regent, refusing to bow or tremble. "As Queen of the Underworld, I request you allow me to mete punishment, since only I can understand the true horror of his crimes." 

Father looked to son, and for a fleeting moment, Persephone wondered if Zeus would deny her. "Yes, Sister, I grant your permission to mete punishment, but in purview of the law!" 

"For the charge of rape, battle finds Apollo guilty!" She extended a finger at him, as Dike and the Furies stepped onto the battle field. "I sentence him to total sexual impotence. This sentence will be met, when you feel remorse for what you did to me, and admit that you planned to force it on me every time you tried to get me alone. Until then, you will derive no physical or mental sexual pleasure from any stimuli." She waited as Dike drew a breath, then the justice goddess nodded. Alecto stepped forward and touched Apollo's exposed groin. Apollo's scream was gagged by the flowering vines. 

"For the charge of battery, battle finds Apollo guilty!" Persephone drew a breath, knowing that this may be met with some protests, but it had to be done. Apollo had to be taught that women besides those he held dear meant something. Zeus had never taught it to him, so it fell on her. "I sentence you to five hundred years of humble unpaid servitude to the maiden goddesses in addition to your duties as pulling the sun. " Finally, Persephone looked into the stands. She found Hestia, Artemis, and Athena standing silently. She tried not to feel guilt over Artemis' tear stained cheeks.

Athena looked to Hestia, and then she turned back to Persephone. The silver goddess gave a gentle nod. "When not pulling the sun, you will do any task they see fit at any time. You will report every sundown to Athena, Hestia, or my Mother. Fail to do so, and I will show no mercy." Again, Persephone turned to Dike, who closed her eyes and judged her sentence to the law. The cream colored goddess nodded, as Alecto stepped in and touched Apollo's feet and hands in turn. 

Drawing herself to calm, Persephone looked back up to Zeus and Hera, who were watching her with unreadable masks. She knew what Hera was thinking, but she didn't know if she had just made an enemy of her brother in law. "My sentencing is passed. I yield the Pantheon back to your authority." Resisting the urge to curtsy, Persephone crossed the arena to where Hades was seated, his face grim, but his eyes infinitely soft.

She made it two steps, before the pain in her thigh shot to her spine. Her control over the shades broke, returning them to the underworld. The vines holding Apollo crumbled to petals, as the next step intensified it, but before she fell, Cerberus was against her side, supporting her. "Mama's goodest boi. My good baby." She cooed, as she stepped onto the first step of the dais. Hades was off his throne in an instant, already one step down when she stopped him with a palm. 

_I can't look weak now. Not here._ She tried to convey with her eyes, as she struggled past him to his thrown, where she turned to face the silent arena. Apollo was being dragged off in cuffs by the Horae, and his allies were returning, scuffed and bruised, to their seats. 

"Sit, my Queen." Hades bowed at the waist as he gestured to his dark throne. Persephone gritted her teeth, refusing to sob over the stabbing pain where Apollo's knife had sliced from her knee to just inside her chiton skirt, and lowered herself down. Then, she crossed her legs, letting the skirts fall open to show them all her injury. She looked up when he moved to her left, resting a hand on her shoulder. _I just want to go home and sleep_

"Justice had been proven today." Hera's voice was loud and confident, but Hades paid no mind. His only attention was his wife's bleeding leg. "This was the sole purpose of the Pantheon. All but the counsel and the six rulers are immediately dismissed." 

Hades dropped to his knees as soon as the lesser gods began to disappear. "Kore, you're bleeding. Does it hurt? I'll have Hecate-" 

"I have a medical kit." Hecate's voice was all business, as the witch kneeled down. "You did well, Kore." She whispered, and Hades again remembered they had been friends for some time. "You've established yourself a new title." Persephone gave a shrug, and it was obvious she didn't have anything to say. Hades couldn't blame her. She'd faced her monster, announced her got married, had her first true batte, and passed her first judgment. "The demi-gods were calling you Dread Queen." 

"Wonderful." His wife gave a pained laugh followed by a whimper, as Hecate cleaned her wound. "Aidoneus." He crouched beside her, as pain drew a tear to her eye. "You aren't a monster." Her voice wad cracked from battle and yelling, so at first Hades was confused. "In the kitchen, you told me not to become a monster like you. You aren't a monster. You're not. Sometimes lessons must be taught." 

"Oh, Kore." Hades leaned in to kiss her gently, even as he heard the crowd gathering beneath them. She broke from his lips with an exhausted whimper, her eyed falling shut, snd her thigh glowed under Hecate's palm. Haded turned his attention back to the remaining gods, and it struck him how many were his family. "What?" 

"You lied to us." Hestia spoke, her voice oddly emotionless towards him for the first time. Despite their opposing lifestyles, she had always been one of the few who acknowledged he wasn't a walking scandal like his brothers. They'd even shared dinners when the rest of the others grew too much to bear. 

"I asked him to hide me. It was my lie, not his." Perseverance gave a groan of pain as Hecate smeared a gol poultice on her skin. Hades wanted to intervene, but Hestia had drawn her attention on Persephone. "I'll pay back the scholarship." 

"Persephone-" Athena's voice was pained and oddly soft as she stepped in front of Hestia. "Do you honestly think we care about-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Artemis cut in now, and Hades watched as Persephone opened her eyes and looked at her friend. 

"I wanna go home." The pink goddess murmured, and Hades knew exactly what to do. 

"She good?" He queried. Hecate nodded, and before anyone could protest, he pulled his wife up in his arms, and ignoring the cries of the counsel, he stepped through the ether to their kitchen. "Hungry?" He murmured, setting his Queen on the counter. 

"I just want to get drunk and sleep for a week." She sighed, and Hades gave a soft hum. He could understand, as it was a feeling he'd felt many times before she'd walked into his life. 

"Just this once." He murmured into her hair. "There's only enough room for one depressed, alcoholic, royal in this kingdom, snd that's my title." She gave him a small smile, but Hades wasn't worried. He poured her a huge glass of her favorite wine, then set the bottle beside her on the counter. "How about a bath before that week long nap." Her smile formed around the rim of the cup, and Hades knew she'd be just fine.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roughly translated, Tuto means owl/night owl/little owl depending on the site I was searching on

"Persephone... Sweetness." Hades brushed the wet hair back from her cheek. She gave a little sigh that sent the fruity aroma of his best wine into the air. She'd downed three Hera portion glasses, and some food he had thrown together for her, before the bath. Then, still wrapped in the towel, hair wild and wet, she'd fallen onto the bed. "You sleep." He kissed her cheek, fully understanding that there were healthier alternatives to drinking ones self unconscious, but sometimes the simplest solution was the latter. Hell, he'd done it thousands of times. 

Hades found that there was a certain honor she gave him in how easily she dropped her guard with him, trusted him to care for her. He loved taking care of her, and not just because he felt needed, but because Persephone didn't make him feel used. "No! Don't lick Mommy, she's resting." He shooed Fudge off the bed before tucking the blanket around her. She wasn't completely drunk, just enough to mingle with the exhaustion of her fight. "Come on, outside." He slapped his thigh, luring the pack to the back door in then kitchen. 

"I brought lunch." Athena's voice was so abrupt in the quiet, that Hades yelped. The eldest of his favorite nieces was holding up two take away bags, and some flowery designed suitcases were at her feet. 

"You scared the shit out of me, Tuto." Hades placed a hand over his mouth as he tried to regain his composure. He knew someone would be popping in eventually, but he hadn't expected Athena to be the first. "Are those..."

"Some things from Persephone's room? Mmhmmm I got her school stuff, diary, planner, and some other things I thought she might want." Athena looked around, her white hair falling in her eye like his always did. "Where is she? In bed? She must be exhausted. I remember how much my powers exhausted me at that age." 

"Yeah." Hades walked over to the eldest of his favorite nieces, the one who mortals often confused as his twin when they visited the realm together. "Plus, she had a few drinks." He cringed, realizing how bad that sounded less than two hours after the trial. "You're not upset with us, about-" he was taking one of the bags of food when Athena cut him off. 

"Hiding her for a week, eloping in secret, and making her queen?" Athena shook her head, opening the container and going around to the utensil drawer. "I knew the moment I saw you two look at each other that it was a matter of time." She passed him a fork, then dug for a water bottle in his fridge. Hades felt himself smile. Athena had always felt at home in his house, and she had been the first of Zeus' children to make him truly feel like an uncle. "I tried to warn The others that fertility goddesses aren't meant for maidenhood." 

"You mean they knew? They knew was she was, and they sent her to Olympus without... without preparation." Hades nearly choked on the noodles he'd shoveled in his mouth. "Tuto, I thought you were smarter than that!"

"I wanted to warn her, but Demeter said it wasn't my place. That's why we put her with Artemis." Athena's bright eyes were infinitely sad, as she carried her food through to the living room. Hades followed her, flopping down with his container as she folded her knees under her. It was only then he noticed she was still in her burgundy chiton and cape, instead of her slacks and knitted vests. "She has shade powers too, doesn't she? That wasn't you summoning the shades." 

"She does. It's a long story, but before she became queen, she could raise newly departed shades and make undelivered ghosts become corporeal." Hades poked at a bit of chicken as Athena blew out a breath. "You suspected it before she even came to Olympus." 

"Well I knew something happened at her Temple, but Demeter didn't expand. She just asked us not to mention it because Persephone was upset about it. Then the mortals changed her name." Athena popped a bite in her mouth and began to chew with a contemplative expression. Hades waited patiently for her to continue, knowing full well she had more to say. Finally Athena swallowed. "She was also insanely specific to Artemis that she had to keep you from talking to Persephone alone. Not men in general, but you specifically." 

"She was afraid I'd find out and kill Persephone..." Hades took a long drink of water and stared out the window at the city beyond. "I married her daughter without her blessing. Somehow I doubt she'll see that as a better option than killing her." 

"I'll intercept her when she comes back. Hestia can't be the one to tell her." Hades froze at the exasperation in the silver goddess' voice. _Hestia and I are friends, well, as much as she allows me to be. Why does Athena look so worried?_ There was a brief silence before his niece carefully explained, "Hestia thinks you and Persephone had sex the night she stayed here. While she does believe Apollo did what he did, Hestia thinks that your love affair with Persephone started that night, and that's why you gave her the coat." 

"What do you think?" 

"I think you didn't. I think you wanted to, that you were attracted to her, but that you were the utter gentleman that Persephone said you were." Athena reached across the sofa to squeeze his hand. "You would never take advantage of a woman like that. It's why I respect you so much."

"Thank you, Tuto," Hades raised her knuckles to his lips for a warm, paternal kiss. Her responding smile was bright and sweet, making her burgundy robes seem all the more bright. 

"Speaking of the abusive, gold digging nymph. How's she taking this? I'm surprised she didn't snitch on the two of you." Hades almost choked on his food. "Oh, Gaia, Uncle tell me you broke up with her first!"

"Of course I did! The day she hit me... it's just..." He cast her a side look, before smiling wryly. "Well, when Persephone was officially announced missing, Minthe came here thinking she could get me back. She hit the pups, and Persephone saw her. She, well, she lost her shit and turned Minthe into a plant."

Athena stabbed herself in the chin, before gaping at him in shock. "She... she turned... she turned Minthe into a plant?"

"And then added said plant to a glass of whisky and gave it to me to drink." Hades chuckled at the idea, as he now understood the full implications of that move. In all honesty, he may have done the same. "She's positively delicious and wicked when she's provoked to anger, my little pink Queen." He didn't catch his gruff, admiring tone until Athena poked him in the leg with her sandal. "Sorry... that was not something you needed to hear." 

"It's alright. You're in love with each other, which anybody with working eyes can see." Athena set her empty tray down while closing it. Hades popped his last bite before setting his down, making a mental note to put Persephone's away in a moment. "Artemis wants to see her." 

"Well she knows where she's living." 

"Alone. She... she's really messed up over this, Uncle Hades. I've never seen her so distraught." Hades felt a flutter of irritation rise in his chest. _Distraught? How many times did she see Persephone's react to Apollo? She didn't even notice three days of silence from Persephone! She was too busy worrying about keeping me away from her to look in her own damn house_ "Uncle Hades! Calm down." 

Hades realized he had been gripping his water bottle so hard it was about to explode. "Sorry, sorry, It's just... Artemis was here, chewing me out about flirting with Persephone, while her twin brother was.... he was... Gah!" Hades hurled the bottle across the room and dropped his face to his hands. "She should have been there for her!" 

"That's exactly her sentiments." Athena's touch was soft on his hair. "Uncle, nobody is to blame but Apollo. This isn't your decision. It's hers." Hades heaved a sigh, reining in his desire to lash out. Before Persephone, Hades would take his anger out on whomever it was aimed at, but he couldn't, not in anyway that hurt Persephone. 

"I know. I know... I would never dream of trying to control her." Hades lifted his head, blowing out a breath. "She's welcome here as long as my queen wants her here."

"Mmmm 's'at mushroom stirfry 'nd noodles?" The sleep and alcohol slurred voice of Persephone made Hades jerk to the doorway. She was standing there, clad only in a pair of black panties and her cream colored satin robe, untied. Her eyes were shut as she swayed and rubbed them. Before he could move to cover her, she opened her eyes and gave a little meep. "Anthena!" 

"Hey Persephone, have a good nap?" Hades blinked, a bit taken aback by how Persephone and Athena seemed completely unphased by the fact that his Queens voluptuous breasts and smooth, sultry curves were on display. "I'm surprised you aren't still passed out. That was something else."

"'M hungry." Before he knew it, his wife was halfway into the cushion between them and procuring his tray.

"Baby girl, that had chicken in it. Don't." He rescued her from her drunken hunger with a sigh. "Athena brought your lunch, but it's in the kitchen." He wondered exactly why his niece or wife seemed to be paying any attention to so much delicious, bare, pink skin. "Here, let's close this so you don't get a chill-" Persephone batted his hand away before yawning.

"So you're just figuring out your wife's practically a nudist?" Athena laughed, though thankfully she didn't strip down and make herself as comfortable as the little Queen. Hades felt his cheeks flush when Persephone yawned again and snuggled into his side, with her feet on Athena's lap. "Persephone, you're a married woman now. You have to cover up."

"Lame." Persephone sighed, but tugged her robe closed. Hades relaxed as she lifted his arm and pulled it around her. "I'm not leaving, so if Hestia sent you to drag me back-"

"Never crossed my mind." Athena squeezed Persephone's barefoot with all the affection of a god parent or favorite elder cousin. Hades recalled how Persephone had once called Athena the greatest of their order. It was easy to see the admiration had masked a sweet friendship. "I just knew how exhausted you'd be, and how Hades would be feeling, so I came to bring lunch and some of your things from Artemis' house."

"Oh, thank you, Athena." Persephone finally opened her eyes fully. "If you're here, who's guarding-"

"Ares, which means I should be getting back." Athena placed Persephone's foot back down before standing. Then she bent over and cupped her cheek in three fingers. "You made me proud today, Kore. That took courage and wisdom, traits I admire." She righted herself and gave a sardonic chuckle. "Love you Uncle Hades." 

"Love you too, Tuto." As silent as the flight of her companions, Athena was gone. 

You call her owl?" Persephone looked up at Hades, who was smiling down at her. She had to let her head fall forward again, as the alcohol still made the world spin. "You and the babies left me in bed alone. It was cold." 

"Sorry, Sweetness. I thought you'd be out for a while. I wanted to let them out and start getting statements ready for the press." Hades large hands were pleasantly warm and soothing as he rubbed her thigh and upper arm. "You're still feeling drunk aren't you?" She nodded, then squeezed her eyes as the world spun. "You want me to bring your food in here?" 

"Please." She sighed in distaste as Hades unwound himself from her and stood up. "Hurry back!" Resting her head back against the couch, Persephone tried to forget her dream and the fear that had yanked her to consciousness through her alcohol. Mama had dragged her out of Hades' bed and locked her in a greenhouse with no doors and unbreakable glass. Hades had pounded on the walls until Mama and Hestia knocked him out and threw him over a cliff. Finding the bed empty had been enough to send her stumbling through the house

"Sweetness, are you crying?" Persephone sniffled hard as Hades settled back next to her. The delicious aroma of veggie stir fry and teriyaki tofu bites from her favorite take-away place on Olympus teased her nose. "Come here." She found herself being pulled onto his lap, which was her favorite place to be, and her food being sent gently in her own. She blinked the tears away as she picked up a fork, thankful Hades had realized she was too uncoordinated at the moment for chop sticks. 

"Nightmare." She leaned her head into his shoulder before taking a small bite. 

"Wanna talk about it?" She shook her head, swallowing her food before impaling a thick mushroom on the tines of her fork. "I have them too, you know. Not so much when you sleep with me, but I do." Persephone tilted her head up to kiss his jaw softly. She hated the idea of anything terrorizing him, even dreams. "I know how real they can be, so, if you ever want to talk about it. I'll listen." 

"I'll listen to you too." She kissed his smooth jaw once more before taking another bite. At that moment, she was just content being in his arms and feeling his heart under his shirt. "Who else's come down?" 

"Just Athena." Persephone took another bite, wondering why nobody else had reached out. Didn't Eros want to see her, or Ares? What about Artemis? _She probably hates me._ "Little Goddess, it's only been two hours." That made her feel a bit better, but not much. "Athena says Artemis feels guilty, and she wants to see you. Do you want to see her?" 

"Yes!" She scared herself with the abrupt explanation. Persephone looked down, suddenly afraid he'd think less of her. Logically, she knew he wouldn't, but she couldn't help it. "I mean... I do. I miss her, but I don't want to go there."

"I told Athena to tell her she was welcome in our home as soon as you said she was." Persephone looked up, ignoring the room waving and twirling as she did. "But I suggest sobering up first. You're already a crier, and the alcohol isn't-"

"I am not!" She protested, sniffling hard as she tried to glower at him.

"Seriously, Kore? Haven't we been over this before, my melancholic little flower?" His lips twisted up in a smirk, eyes dancing in amusement. 

"Oooo don't laugh at me with your stupid voice." She growled back, recalling their first and longest phone conversation. Then, she had a drunken flash of Minthe and her behaviors. "Sorry... I shouldn't-"

"Sweetness, we're teasing each other. Calling my voice stupid is about as much of an insult as me calling you melancholic." Hades fingers squeezed her leg, and his lips pressed into her hair softly. "We can play like that. I enjoy the bratty banter. Don't dampen yourself to please me, and I won't do it to myself to please you." 

"I love you." She stirred her noddles softly, just relaxing in the safety and peace her husband's embrace brought. "My husband."

"My wife." The skip in his heart at the word made her own chest swell in adoration. "Now, please finish your lunch, so I can have the leftovers." Persephone giggled as he tickled her ribs softly, and she hurriedly shoved a forkful of noodles and green beans into her mouth.


	25. Chapter 25

Persephone stared down at the phone in her hand, biting her lip as she tapped her nail against the empty message box. Hades had, begrudgingly, forced himself to his study to work. He had loudly complained too, saying that despite all the bullshit of the last week, it was the least amount of actual _work_ he'd done in a millennia. 

Honestly, she wanted to stumble her tipsy self into his office and distract him, but she also knew she had a message to send. The problem was, Persephone didn't know what to say. Artemis was, well, a conundrum. She loved her friend so much, but she had found she was also so angry with the moon goddess. 

She hadn't acknowledged the anger before, but now that she was safe, that her monster was justifiably punished, that she knew she was strong and valid in her own emotions, Persephone realized that she was bitter and irritated at Artemis. She also knew the longer she held it in, the more bitter she'd become. So, despite Hades' warning that she should fully sober up, she had decided to reach out.

**Hey. It's Persephone. I'm ready to talk when you are.**

She blew out a breath, making to set the phone down, knowing it would probably take a bit for her to respond. Artemis wasn't the type to be glued to her phone. No sooner did it hit the couch cushion, than her phone rang.

**Artemis: Would you like me to come to you?**

**Yes! I would come to you, but, I'm avoiding the paparazzi. You should be able to transfer in, if Worked the barriers right.**

Persephone set the phone down on the window sill again and fiddled with the light gray sweater she'd pulled on over her black, grey, and pink plaid leggings. She was still feeling an aversion to her innocent white styles, but she also didn't think it appropriate to greet Artemis while covered solely in Hades' hug shirts and her own fuzzy socks either.

There was a sound like a deer running through the underbrush, and the window pane reflected back a sea of purple. Persephone couldn't help her response, as she yelped and spun, throwing her arms out as her fingernails grew dark and hard. "Perse! It's me! It's me."

"Sorry... I'm sorry." Persephone sucked in a breath and lowered her arms. 

Artemis looked a mess, her face was puffy with ringed eyes and lips thick and swollen like they'd been rubbed and picked. Her normally straight or tied back hair looked like it had been pulled and tugged. Her usually sporty attire had not replaced her silver chiton, but her triple moon diadem was missing. "It's fine... I understand." Persephone wasn't sure what to say.

The silence hung between them, thick, tense, like water suspended between boiling and freezing. Persephone couldn't make sense of the maelstrom of emotions in her gut: pain, disappointment, fear, guilt, regret, remorse, forgiveness, and love. _Maybe Hades was right. I should have sobered up. I can't think._ "You tried to tell me..." Artemis' voice cracked, and Persephone broke. The tears began anew, as she stared wordlessly at her friend. "You said 'Let me tell you something about your brother', and all I could think about was how you were just being hard on him because he's annoying." 

Sucking in a deep, breath in an attempt to stop the fat, ugly tears from overwhelming her, Persephone gave a short nod. "Why didn't you tell me, Persephone. Why? I could have... I wouldn't have left..." 

"I didn't think you would believe me. Eros wanted me to, but I didn't... I was so scared...I didn't want to be a burden." Persephone gasped out, then sucked in another body racking sob. "Please forgive-"

"Forgive you? Oh Persephone, I'm here to ask your forgiveness." Artemis looked so defeated, that Persephone had to hug her. She squeezed her tightly, trying to find something, anything to say. She wasn't going to lie, she had missed how Artemis smelled, like fresh dew on a wood path and a hint of pine at dawn. "The order is supposed to protect women from things like this, and I failed you." 

"No, no, you didn't." Persephone pulled back to lead her friend over to the couch. "Nobody failed me, except Apollo." It was so hard for her to see Artemis like this, with no fight, no target for her anger, simply guilt. "You knew he made me uncomfortable, but besides asking me to be nice to him." 

"I did fail. I was supposed to keep you safe, but my own brother raped you, then attacked you, and I left you exposed enough for Hades to take advanced of your need for help-." Her dark eyes flicked down to the wedding set on Persephone's finger and then back up. "So he could force you into marriage." 

"Forced? Oh Artemis, no." Persephone squeezed her hand to reassure her that she was all wrong. "Well, it was quicker than we wanted, I wanted to marry him. I love him." She'd never seen Artemis look so confused about anything, ever. "A lot has happened since Hades saved my life." She took Artemis' hands, trying to offer what reassurance she could. "I know Mama asked you to keep me away from Hades, but that's because I have shade powers." 

"Wait, you manifested those shades? I thought-" 

Persephone reluctance's divulged the truth about her temple, about how Demeter had blocked her memories, and finally how, upon seeing each other at their most primal forms, she and Hades had recognized each other as destiny. "When we found out Apollo was trying to frame him, the only option was for me to challenge him. I couldn't do that without an alliance, so, Hera, sorta kinda, talked us into a wedding last night." 

"But he's fucking Hades!" Artemis threw her hand towards the hallway in exasperation. There was a thump from overhead, definitely Mushroom getting into mischief, but Artemis dropped her voice to a whisper. "He'll break your heart and toss you in a corner as soon as he's done being pissed at his gold digging river bitch. Please tell me you didn't consummate the marriage. If not, Hestia and Athena should be able to convince-"

"Minthe's not going to be a problem." Persephone shook her hair back, sniffing in distaste as Artemis gave her a look that was questioning her mental stability. "Not will any other homewrecker for that matter. I turned her into a plant." 

"You did what!!" Artemis hissed, looking around in shock. "Does Hades know?!" 

"Technically she's an herb, maybe a spice, I haven't decided what to classify her as yet." Persephone let her power flash into her eyes, knowing full well her diadem shimmered into being too. "He knows. I put said plant into his favorite whisky and told him it was a new drink... then I told him how I made it." 

"And he didn't flip his shit?" Artemis looked like Persephone had just told her that Zeus had offered to go to a sex addicts anonymous class. 

"No, he's been pretty amused by it actually. I made my point, and he's already vowed he isn't like his brothers." She scooted closer on the couch, squeezing Artemis' hands again. "And yes, the marriage is consummated. I was born to be his queen, but he wants me to be happy, so I'm finishing school, and I'm paying back the scholarship. Athena says she thinks we're supposed to be together."

"Are you pregnant?" Artemis' voice was deathly serious, and surprisingly reminiscent of her Uncle's voice a few days prior. "Is that it? Is Hestia right? Hades knocked you up that first night, and that's why you summoned him when Apollo attacked you. You're staying because you don't want to be a single mom."

"No!" Persephone covered her belly, jerking back. Disbelief and pain ached in her chest, as her still tipsy mind tried to process Artemis' inability to understand. "I love Hades! We never even kissed until after he saved me. Hades is a good man, and I'm so sick of people thinking he's a monster!" 

"Kore, is everything okay?" Hades voice made her turn. He was standing in the door with a bag of chips and a bottle of water, obviously on his way back from the kitchen to his study. "You're blooming hemlock in the stairs again..." Artemis was lethally silent on the sofa as Persephone tried to think of a response. "I'm just gonna..." he stepped back into the hall, leaving them alone. 

"You're a flower goddess, a fertility goddess, the Underworld is no-"

"So, you all knew. Everyone but me knew that I was a fertility goddess!" Persephone threw her hands up in disbelief as more angry tears filled her eyes. "Nobody thought to warn me. Nobody!" She gritted her teeth before sitting back down on the sofa. "I may be nineteen, but I'm not stupid. I'm not naive, not anymore." _Your fucking twin saw to that._ Persephone did not throw the thought out. "Hades will never, ever abuse me. He'll never cheat, never abandon me. Since the day he found me in his car, he has never done anything to me that I haven't asked for." 

Artemis looked ready to shake her, but Persephone fixed her with just as serious a glare. "Your Mama is going to murder me, and then she'll come for Hades." 

"My Mama can't use a damn pitchfork to run people out of my life anymore. I'm the fucking Queen of the Underworld! I don't have to obey anybody!" Persephone slapped her hand over her mouth, realizing in her temper she'd cussed. It wasn't a habit she wanted to pick up, but it was coming out the longer she acknowledged the more dangerous aspects of her being. 

"Except your husband."

"When he crowned me, he raised me up to his equal, he was very specific." Persephone scoffed as she threw his words out. "While you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore." 

Artemis' jaw dropped as the power of the oath, the gift of his kingdom, vibrated in the air. "Holy shit..." Persephone couldn't help but preen, remembering the powerful fire in his eyes when he'd taken her to bed and sealed their marriage three times over. "You really love him." 

"I do, but if you don't like him, that's fine." Persephone hadn't been harboring any delusion that the marriage was going to be accepted without problems, but she didn't expect this to be where the conversation to lead. "This conversation is about us, about our friendship. Artemis...I wanted to make sure you don't hate me."

"Persephone, no.... no..." Artemis was hugging her again, and Persephone felt the doubt and fear of rejection begin to dissipate. "We're always gonna be friends. Just because I hate your husband doesn't mean I don't love you." She gave a tight squeeze and kissed her hair. Persephone smiled into her shoulder, breathing in the scent of mortal realm forests at night. "And I don't blame you for hiding from us or for going after Apollo. I love him, but he needs to be held responsible." 

"I love you too." Persephone kissed her hair in return before pulling back. "I'm glad we talked. I was so afraid."

"Me too." Artemis blew out a breath, staring out the window. "I have to go talk to him, but I don't know what to say." Persephone blinked in surprise. She'd assumed Artemis had already visited her brother. "Hera forced our father to confine him to his estate until Hestia and the others can figure out how to implement your judgement." 

"I don't know what to tell you. I don't want to see him again until he admits what he did was... well... rape."'Persephone shook her head as she pulled her hands away. "Or until I don't want to rip his heart out through his chest and feed it to him." 

"I know. I just wanted to see you first. I needed you to know I am behind you." She turned her silver eyes back to Persephone, and the pain in them was again evident. "Hermes is gonna need me too."

"Yeah, can you tel him he's welcome too. I don't have his number." 

Artemis nodded and stood. Persephone knew she had to go, or she'd find excuse after excuse to confront her twin. "Yeah. I'll see you later." 

"You know where to find me." Artemis was gone. 

The room suddenly seemed too dark and heavy. Persephone drew a breath, shivering despite her warm clothes. Everything felt raw and exposed again, and there was only one person who could help her with the pain. Wiping her cheeks, she headed up the stairs to her husband's study.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of this scene "Easy, baby" is inspired by the NSFW content on Rachel's Patreon! If you aren't subscribed, you are missing out!

Hades felt Persephone's gaze on him before he registered the soft scent of flowers in the air. Looking up, he found her cheeks dark and lashes thick and wet from tears. "Oh, Sweetness, did it not go well?" He pulled his glasses off, pushing his wireless mouse away, snd made to stand. Persephone was in his lap before he could do more than stretch his legs out, burying her pretty little face into his neck.

"It went fine. I just... it's hard." Sometimes it was so easy to forget that Persephone was only nineteen. Her breath was warm on his neck, and Hades found himself fighting to keep himself in check at sensation. He cupped her perfect, heart shaped, ass with one hand and cradled her upper back with the other. _Fates, how can she reduce me to a self control lacking teenager?_ "She thinks you manipulated me into marriage." Hades felt stomach drop and freeze at the whisper in her voice. 

"D-d-do you?" _I promised her we could wait, but not even twelve hours later we were saying our vows._ Hades eased her face from his neck, terrified of what truth he'd find, but Persephone was gazing at him with that look of absolute worship she'd worn their first night of intimacy, when she'd touched him. 

"No, not at all." He sighed in relief as her fingers began to toy with the hair at the nape of his neck. "I love you." She gave a slight wiggle of her hips, making him suck in a breath reflexively. "Being with you, here, makes me feel more at home than anywhere in my life." Hades felt himself stir, as his wife gave a sensual rock of her hips again. _Is she trying to- mmmm_ Hades inner thoughts silenced themselves as Persephone's lips brushed his with a teasing graze. "I know you're working, but I really need you right-" 

Hades cut her off by kissing her fully. If she needed him, work could wait another hour. Her tiny gasp of desire was all the confirmation he needed. Reaching under the seat with one hand, he expertly locked the wheels of the high back leather chair, while curling his tongue along hers. Then he buried that hand in her hair, fisting it on instinct. She gasped sharply into his mouth, her fingers tight on his shoulder and neck. "Sorry" He loosened his grip. "I got-"

"T-t-that felt good." He broke the kiss to check her expression, heart racing in desire and a flicker of hopeful anticipation. Her cheeks were flushed deep magenta, pupils blow wide with need. Hades made a slow fist again, taking expert care to get close to her scalp and avoid the painfully sensitive spots, and he watched as Persephone gave a gasp. 

"May I try something with you, Little Goddess?" 

"Mmmhmmm" Hades tugged gently back, slowly, allowing her time to stop him, and he groaned when Persephone arched her body against his, head back, throat exposed with her own whimper of pleasure. "Oooh! I like that." He guided her head forward again, keeping his grip, and claimed her lips. Persephone responded in turn, almost wild above him. _Maybe she would be willing... I won't ask... not yet._ The little minx nipped his lip, while slipping her fingers down his shirt, and Hades found himself roaring to full attention. 

"Fuck, Sweetness, you are irresistible." Hades pulled her head to the side, doing so gently, needing to see if she'd yield. Her broken gasp accompanied by a sharp downward grind of her hips made him smirk. He mapped her delicate jaw with his tongue, down the graceful sinews of her neck, until he reached the her pulse point where he nipped softly. He swore she keened 'more' but the word was lost in the sound of her gasp and his phone ringing. "Ignore it." 

"Okay-Ah!" He had given her a languid suck, earning him a full body shudder. "Naked... naked... want you naked." She was practically panting, and Hades chuckled at how she fumbled for his shirt. He laved his tongue across her neck, before giving another ardent suck of her sweet flesh. "Aidoneus!" Her cry had him rocking up to meet her, the thin material of her leggings and the soft rub of his lounge pants barring him from her sweet heat. "Please..."

"Mmmm eager Little Goddess." He trailed his lips up to her ear, pausing to curl his tongue along the delicate skin. "You want to ride me like this, or do you want me to put you on the desk?" He censored himself, not letting the dark desires her reaction to the hair pulling was unlocking show itself. _I want to throw you on this desk and fuck you so hard you feel it three days from now._

"I...I...I want.... you." Persephone's breathless stutter into the room while she tried to push his shirt up made him smile. He'd never felt her so eager or heard her so unable to voice her needs. Even the first time, she'd been able to tell him the very basic desires. 

"Use your words, Little Goddess. Tell me what you're hungry for." He slid his hands to her hips, squeezing just soft enough to still her desperate wriggles, and he began guiding her in smooth, teasing, rocks. "I'm still learning your body, Kore, and I need you to tell me or ask me what you need from me." He pulled back, resting his head against the chair, though he wanted nothing more than to strip her down, put her on his desk, and bury his face between her thighs until she exploded. 

Those sweet, pink eyes were so big, so trusting, it nearly broke his thought process. "I want... I want you to lay me on the desk... and... fuck me." The filthy word came out in a keen, as Hades shift her hips so that his iron hard cock would rub against her through the material. 

"Stand up." Hades took her arms as she slid from his lap, helping her stay steady as she stood. Then, after unlocking the wheels, he surged to his feet, kicking the chair away. "I want you complete naked. Can you do that for me, Sweetn-" Hades chuckled as Persephone cut him off and ripped her sweater over her head to reveal her succulent breasts were utterly bare. He matched her urgency, tossing his plain tshirt aside. "I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you." He murmured, reaching forward to tug her leggings down a bit.

Persephone didn't give him a chance too, because the next thing he knew she wad pulling his sweat pants down and dropping to her knees. "Can I try something first?" Her warm breath hit his exposed cock, making him flex in the air only inches from her lips. _Nooo... she can't be asking. Where would she learn that from?_ "Does it feel as good for you if I use my mouth as it does for me when you do it?" 

"Yes, but Sweetness, You don't have to. Many women don't like- FUCK!" He cried out as Persephone's wet tongue laved a path of perfection from the base of his shaft to the underside of the head. Instinctively, he cradled the back of her hair, doing his best not to buck into her mouth. "Mmmmm only do this if you want to. I'm not expecting you to." Persephone smiled, nodding, and Hades had to grab the desk's corner as she swirled her tongue around the head before closing her lips over it. "Yes, good girl, fuck!" 

Her technique was sloppy, blatantly inexperienced, with little sucking and all head bobbing, but Hades didn't care. Looking down, seeing her fingers on his thighs, perfect lips sliding along his cock, had him harder than ever before. Suddenly, Persephone took him to the base, giving an abrupt gag, before yanking away. "Oh... easy, baby." Hades panted, his body shuddering from the sensation, completely distracted by the line of saliva stretching from his skin to her tongue. "Up you go." He tried to guide her up, but Persephone had her lips on him again. "Fates, Sweetness, your mouth is so perfect."

 _I should stop her. I'm too big for her._ Then she was moaning around him, as she began to stroke the very base of his cock and give more determined sucks, her lips tightening. "Good girl!" He grunted, fisting her hair slightly, giving himself enough to guide her motions. "Don't take too much. I'm.... Kore..." Her name was dragged from his lips in a groan, as she slowly took him halfway, his cock brushing her throat. Then she swallowed, once, twice, and on the third she pressed forward taking his full length.

Hades couldn't think, looking down, finding her eyes so thick with love and need, her mouth and lips stretched tight around his length, and his fingers in her hair. She pulled back, leaving fire behind jn the wake of her talented tongue and slick mouth. Yet, the image was replaced by red fingers, dark hair, then golden hair and the bluest eyes, and the sensation of knowing that this was going to lead to the request of a very expensive gift or weeks of being ignored. "Sweetness, you don't have to do this." Hades pulled her face back by her hair, though it felt amazing. "I'll give you whatever you want, no need to-"

"Am I that bad? I just wanted to...you do it for you. I just wanted to make you feel good." Hades whined as her fingers slipped away from his cock, but then he closed his computer with one hand, shoved the papers to the floor, and reached down to pull her to her feet. She looked like he'd just chastised her, and the expression made him sigh. "I can learn. I'll have Psyche or..." she looked up, uncertainty in her eyes. "You don't like how My mouth-"

"I do! I do! I just... you don't have to. In my experience-" He sighed as she winced at the word. "Women don't like doing it, and sucking me off was a chore that they needed compensation for or done in haste to keep me quiet." He tried to lift her up, by the hips, but she was running her hand down to his cock again. 

"I like doing this. I love how you feel and taste." Hades swallowed hard, head buzzing at the sincerity of her words. "I don't want anything from you but love." Her fingers closed around him, as her lips pressed against a scar on his chest. "And for you to let me make you come in my mouth." 

"Wicked girl." Hades seized her hips, nearly tossing her to the desk, stepping into her space to kiss her fiercely as he tugged her leggings down. "Later, in bed, I'll let you try again." Persephone gave a happy hum, her hips lifting to let him slid her legs free of the material, and he tossed it aside. "Lay back." His desk was all goddess and curves and the delicious aroma of honey suckle and vanilla and fresh spring water. He slid a hand up, grasping her breast, using the other to guide himself to her dripping center. "This what you want, Little Goddess? You want me to take you on this desk, don't you?

"Yes! Please! Now!" Hades pressed forward, slowly at first, letting her grip his arm and the edge of the desk beside her head, then, he sank into her with a shout, sheathing himself completely. Her croon of pleasure filled the room, as a burst of pomegranate blossoms crowned her head. "Aidoneus, more!" He couldn't deny his Queen a thing." 

Persephone was in ecstasy. The disappointment of her failed blowjob was obliterated by the way her husband was thrusting into her. Other times, he had been paced, restrained, obviously in control to maximize her comfort. This was slightly harder, slightly rougher, but not pushing any boundaries that scared her. "Touch yourself." Came the grunted order, and Persephone slipped her hand from his arm to slide it down her body. "Good Little Goddess." She preened under his praises, crying out in pleasure at the combination of his thrusts and her pressing circles. "Let me see your eyes, Sweetness."

Persephone hadn't even realized they were closed until she forced them open. Hades was pulling her legs around his broad hips. The simple change made her give a wordless cry, as he hit her deeply in new ways. "So... fuck... Aidoneus." The sensation, combined with her touch, and the way his fingers were gripping her hips so tightly, was tightening that coil deep inside of her. "Yes! Yes!" 

"I love you, Little Goddess." Hades' voice was thick, broken by his thrusts, and Persephone thrilled at the way his eyes burned red fire along her body. "I want you to come for me!" His half shout stole her words, and Persephone found herself racing towards the edge. She longed to kiss him, to touch him, but she knew she would get to. He loved staring into her eyes when she first came. 

She was so close, so wired under his touch, The way he filled her, stretched her, making her gasp or moan with thrust was a level of pleasure that always seemed impossible to repeat, but he always threw her into again. She let her fingers circle, press, and rub against the hooded bud at her apex. The touch lit her nerves in bliss, making her whole body shake and twist. "Close... close... please." She was just there, almost, and she gripped the edge of the desk as Hades lifted her hips just so and gave a demanding, growling, thrust. "Aidoneus!" She shattered.

An ocean roared in her ears as stars danced across her vision. Her heart pounded, racing in her chest, as she was launched into a realm of perfect rapture. The only thing Persephone felt, saw, and tasted was Hades, his kiss, his touch, and breath as he rocked her higher and higher. "Come for me, please." She heard herself plead with him. "Come inside me. Fill me...I'm only yours." 

"Kore!" Hades was ceaseless in his rhythm, and Persephone knew he was close. She tightened her legs around his hips, savoring how each stroke gave her the most delicious aftershocks, and she mewled in delight when he began panting, eyes flashing scarlet as they drowned her in their intensity, until he lifted her hips off the desk and thrust into her hard. "Close..."

"Yes! Come for me! Take me! Aidoneus." She needed him, needed to feel him fill her. Every time he was close it came like a desperate, feral, primal hunger. Persephone _needed_ him to come. The intensity made her toss her head back, falling over the edge of his desk. He was there, just on the edge. Persephone acted on instinct and clenched herself around him. The already impossibly tight fit became a level of perfection that made her throat burn. 

"Kore!" Persephone cried out at the sound of her name, and she clung to Hades' hands on her hips. He gave two, deep, erratic thrusts before stilling inside of her, dropping to his forearms over her on the desk.and she shivered in delight at his lips on her shoulder. She could almost feel his release filling her. "I love you so much." 

"I love you too." She sighed, then whimpered as he slid from her. Before she could speak, he was pulling her into his arms and dropping back to the chair. She snuggled into his chest, gasping for air while he kissed her hair and stroked her bare back. "That was amazing." She wrapped her arms around his neck, humming. 

"It was. Was I too rough?" Hades' voice was rough and soft all at once, and Persephone felt like she was melting at the tone. _Rough? It was so good..._

"No, mmmmm it was good..." She looked up to find him watching her with the most adoring expression. Her stomach flipped in pleasure at it. "I loved it." She pressed her lips to his chest. Hades looked beyond pleased, but before she could speak again. Hades' phone rang out the unmistakable beat of Hecate's ringtone. "Don't answer it...." 

"Sweet girl, I have to. I was supposed to be on a conference call about a housing expansion fifteen minutes ago." Hades heaved a sigh, and Persephone lifted her head. "Believe me, I want to do nothing more than take you to bed, but I have to work."

"I know. I should be studying too. I missed a whole week." Hades gave his sweet goddess a soft kiss as she slid from his lap. "Will you be long?" 

"Maybe an hour or so." He playfully squeezed her delicious rear when she bent over to retrieve some clothes. "Tell you what. Go study, let me finish this call, and I'll order us delivery to have by the pool." 

"Mmmm I can do that." Persephone gave a mischievous giggle, and Hades nearly blew off work again. Still, he forced himself to focus as she sashayed from the room, having stolen his shirt and left her clothes on the floor in a blanket of petals.


	27. Chapter 27

Persephone smoothed her skirt as she stepped out of the nondescript black car. The driver, Basil, passed her her bag. "Your Majesty, what time would you like me to return for you?" Persephone looked up into his three maroon eyes, as he pushed his sunglasses up to his head spikes. Hades had insisted she have an escort on her first day back to class, in case of the paparazzi. 

"Um, four hours or so." Persephone shouldered her bag, becoming acutely aware of the looks passersby were giving. "There's a cafe across the street that has wonderful coffee and cakes." She pointed past the car, before swallowing hard. Basil looked around before sniffing the air, as of tasting. "My classes are in that building. I have biology and statistics today."

"I'll wait in the cafe." Basil dropped his glasses and snapped a quick bow. "You have my number, yes? I know you're a goddess, but if you need me, call." 

"Thanks Basil." Persephone gripped her shoulder strap and nodded. "Question." He tilted his head, as he closed the door. "Do I look like a college student?" His black lips twisted up for a moment. "Be honest."

"You look sweet. The cream blouse is very...innocent." Persephone blew out a breath as he adjusted his white gloves. "If you need me..."

"I'll call." Persephone turned away from her driver, escort, and body guard. Technically, she didn't need a body guard, but Hades had told her there were rumors that some people were not so keen on Apollo's trial and on her ascension to the throne. Hades also knew Persephone didn't want to use her powers against her classmates, because school was important to her. "Wish me luck." 

"Good Luck, Your Majesty." 

Persephone brushed her hair back and started her walk to the building. It was an odd feeling, returning to school after everything that had happened. She'd been Queen for two whole days now, but so far she had avoided watching the news and social media. Hades, of course, was all over it, with Hecate fielding the calls. _It'll die down in a week. Eros says this is just blowing up because Hades never had scandals, and I'm just a newbie goddess who showed up and turned Olympus and the Underworld on its head._

"She's such a lying bitch." A whispered voice met her ears as she reached for the door. "Just friends my sweet, green ass. Now they're married. Twenty drachma says she's pregnant." A wave of anger rose inside of her, but Persephone shoved it down. _Hera warned me that people would talk if I tried to go back so soon. Just ignore them._ Persephone stepped into the building, biting back her anxiety. 

She didn't miss how people stepped out of her way, leaving a path for her. Persephone had witness it many times at Underworld Corps, when Hades was walking, but having it done for her was odd. "Persephone, I mean, Queen Persephone..." Fiora, her biology teacher stammered as she came in. "It's good to have you in class. 

"Professor, I don't want special treatment. Persephone is fine." Persephone gave her a shy smile, before heading to her usual seat. Opening her bag, she pulled out her laptop, which she had bought with her money from her internship and not with her new black debit card that say primly in her wallet.

"I can't believe she's even here." A voice hissed behind her. "I mean, I'd drop out if I'd screwed my way into the royal family." Persephone bit back her retort, refusing to turn around. The professor began the lecture, and Persephone did her best to pay attention. She could still hear the occasional whisper behind her, but as she typed her notes they were nothing more than wordless hisses. 

Her phone buzzed on her desk, and a quick glance showed it was Hades. She felt herself smile, but stopped her fingers as she reached for the phone. _It can wait an hour. Pay attention._ It didn't help that the biology lecture was on the interworking of cell structure, and the example was of strawberry plant. She could teach this lesson if she wanted. 

A Fatesbook group message popped onto her laptop screen, making her blink in surprise. **Queens**

**Amphitrite has changed the group name to We Three Queens.  
Amphitrite has changed her name to _Sea Queen_  
Sea Queen Has changed Hera's name to _That Bitch_ **

Persephone swallowed a snort of laughter as she wondered what was going on Her fingers itched to respond, but she didn't have a chance to before Amphitrite continued with her name changing. 

**Sea Queen has changed Persephone's name to _Size Queen_  
That Bitch: I will fillet your ass, try me bitch.  
That Bitch has changed her name to _Queen Bunny_  
Queen Bunny laugh reacted to 'Sea Queen has changed Persephone's name to _Size Queen_ '  
Queen Bunny: Persephone, we can see you're reading these.**

Persephone cast a look to the empty seats on her left and right, before biting her lip and letting her fingers hit the keys. Why would the

 **Size Queen: Sorry, Your Majesties, I'm in class.  
Sea Queen: See, no. Cut that shit out.  
Queen Bunny: Trite, I told you .  
Sea Queen: This needs to be fixed.  
Size Queen: I don't understand. Cut What out?  
Queen Bunny: We, as in the three of us, don't ever call each other 'Your Majesty.'  
Sea Queen: You're one of us now.  
Queen Bunny: I wanted you as my daughter-in-law, but Sister works too:-* **

Persephone looked up at presentation. Her throat felt oddly tight, and there was an explosion of butterflies low in her belly. _Sister? Why didn't I think of that? I have brothers now too._ She swallowed hard, before typing slowly, her curiosity piqued. If Hera had suspected Apollo, which one of her sons had she wanted to marry her off to? 

**Size Queen: Daughter-in-law? Who was your choice?  
Queen Bunny: Doesn't matter.  
Queen Bunny: You + Blue Boy = My best match yet!  
Sea Queen: Pretty sure you can't take full credit for that one.  
Sea Queen: Also, I thought we changed his code name to Big Blue Daddy.  
Sea Queen: After P 's birthday party last year.  
Queen Bunny: Trite...... **

****

****

Persephone glanced back up at the projector screen, finding herself grinning at the banter between the Queens. It had never really crossed her mind that they were friends, though how close the Brothers were should have said something. Her nickname in the chat finally registered in her mind, and she felt a wave of confusion when Amphitrite mentioned Hades' nickname.

 **Size Queen: What's a size queen? Who's P? What happened to Hades at his birthday.  
Sea Queen: Oh, Bunny, you were serious. She's so pure it's adorable.  
Queen Bunny: Look it up, just not in class  
Sea Queen: He lost a bet to Z and had to go shot for shot with P. It was Dionysian wine.  
Queen Bunny: Clothes went missing. The whole party got to see what Poseidon and Hades were working with.  
Sea Queen: Minthe got pissed and left. Like the skanky bitch hadn't just been treating him like shit all night anyways.  
Sea Queen: Not like we noticed she left until he got all pissy.  
**

Persephone snorted. Minthe had been such a bitch. It was obvious from the way nobody who cared about Hades seemed to have anything good to say about her at all. She wondered if they knew the extent of the treatment that Hades had endured under those red fingers. 

**Sea Queen: That river bitch hasn't been giving you trouble?  
Queen Bunny: Oh! I forgot to tell you! Oooo or do you want to Persephone?  
Size Queen: I turned her into a plant. **

Persephone bit her lip after she sent the message, quickly flipping to her notes to write down the key sections of the chapter she'd need to study for. When she came back, she found Amphitrite had sent a series of gifs consisting of shocked looks to round of applauses and standing ovations. 

**Sea Queen: I'm headed to Olympus for brunch with Alec. We'll be done with our dessert around noon. I HAVE to meet you officially, @Size Queen. @Queen Bunny, the Usual spot.  
Queen Bunny: Wait, Grey Alec or orange Alec? I can't keep up with your toys.  
Size Queen: I have study group at noon :-/  
Sea Queen: Grey, and we'll see you at noon.  
Size Queen: I really do have study group.  
Queen Bunny: Text me for the address.  
Size Queen: Wait!  
Size Queen: Hera?  
Size Queen: Amphitrite?**

The messages went unread, and Persephone felt like she was tossed back into the room. Nearly the entire lecture had passed, but Persephone wasn't too worried. The class was a requirement, but Mama had insisted she do university level work by the time she was seventeen. She barely closed her laptop, and the bell rang. Persephone shouldered her bag again, waiting calmly for the class to file out.

Again, the already spacious hallways parted as she walked. It was like body wanted to be within touching distance of her. "That's what her chat said. She turned her into a plant." One of the voices from her last class made her stop. "I only saw that bit when she moved her shoulder." She wanted to turn, to let her anger show over being gossiped about. Yet she didn't. 

"But she made him put the eye back." Came another whisper. 

"Because she knew was sleazing her way into his bed."

"Shut up!" Persephone spun around, her stomach in her throat. "Shut up! You have no idea what your talking about!" The group that had been lingering near a vending machine froze, facing her with looks of horror. It struck her too late that it was her study group, the same people she'd tried so hard to make amends to after the eyeball incident."I am so sick of people talking about me like I'm not there!" 

"We weren't-"

"Yes you were! I'm not stupid! You have no idea what... what... what bullshit I've been through since I came to Olympus." She stepped forward, fighting back tears. _I just want to have a life of my own. I just want to have my own reputation._ "I was drugged and put in a stranger's car my first week here. The next day, I was raped. Then I got sent to Tartarus by Minthe's pettiness. After that I was stalked by my rapist, who then beat me to near death until I was rescued by Hades." 

She felt the ground tremble and shake, and Persephone tightened her muscles in an attempt to keep from summoning Cerberus or worse. _Everyone wants to shame me and belittle me. I didn't do anything wrong! I just wanted to live my life_ The other students were clinging to each other, but Persephone was so tired of being walked on. "Nobody talks about that! Nobody cares that the last month of my life has been spent in a constant state of having to feel like shit for existing!" 

"We're sorry!"

"No you aren't!" Persephone tossed her hair as it grew out of the chin length waves to reach her elbows. "You're just sorry I heard you! You're just sorry I called you out for dragging my reputation in the mud but not saying shit about the god who put it there!" At her shout, the vending machine glass cracked down the center, as the dry roasted nuts and sees in the bags returned to life, sprouting wildly inside the machine. 

Turning on her heel, Persephone stormed down the hall. As she rounded the corner, she froze at the sight of two, wide eyed, frightened campus security officers. "Y-y-your Majesty. I'm so s-s-s-sorry, but we have to ask you to leave campus." 

"Why?" Persephone felt her rage explode into a tsunami of disbelief and sadness. "I haven't done anything! I just stood up for-" 

"Please, we d-d-don't want to h-h-h-have to summon Lady Athena." Persephone blanched as she realized the campus security badge was an Olive Tree emblazoned on an Aegis being held in the claws of an Owl. "You've caused a disturbance." 

"But they-"

"Campus policy, Queen Persephone. We can't make exceptions." The other finally spoke, his hand going to his radio mic. Persephone swallowed hard, finding her math professor watching from six doors down with a grieved expression. "Your Majesty-"

"I'm going." Persephone held her chin high, as she slipped out the emergency fire door to her left. She didn't care that the door alarm sounded, because all she could see was the fear on the faces of those watching her be escorted off. _This is what Hades has lived with. No wonder he hates Olympus. No wonder he's never been in any scandals until me. Everyone thinks we're dark, evil, monsters_ She refused to let the tears break, even as she stepped past the front archway and stared up at the Olympus Skyline. 

"You can't return to campus until further notice." One of them spoke, but Persephone didn't listen. She pulled out her phone and hit dial.

"Persephone! Thought you had class." Hera's voice didn't seem the least bit surprised. 

"Where are we meeting?" Persephone was so proud of herself for keeping her voice stable, even as Basil spotted her from his seat outside a cafe nearby, through down some money, and came sprinting across traffic. 

"The Peacock, one of my own businesses." Hera said softly, as if she could sense Persephone's mood even without her saying a word. "I'll meet you there." The line went dead, and Persephone looked up, up, up into the red face above her. 

"Take me to the Peacock." She croaked out, her whole body shaking at the injustice of what had happened. 

"Here, Your Majesty, don't let them see you cry." Basil's sunglasses were slipped onto her face before Persephone could blink. Then he extended his elbow, two eyes on her as one fired daggers over her shoulder. "They fear you, because they don't understand." She looped her hand under his arm, letting him guide her to the car, as the tears finally broke free. It was parked across the street, the Three Headed Guardian crest billowing on the flag on the hood. Once inside, she looked down at her useless textbooks and realized her life had never been and would never be normal. 

In the Underworld, Hades looked up from his pile of personal assistant resumes and pushed the green intercom button. "Sofia Fotos, please come in." He dropped his glasses, leaning back in his chair to rub his eyes. _If one more fucking river nymph dressed like she's auditioning for porn walks in, I'm going to turn the company over to Hecate and retire._ The morning had been filled with applicants who looked, dressed, and carried themselves exactly like Minthe had and Thetis still did. 

He wasn't stupid. There was a reputation in being the P.A. for the Kings. Poseidon and Zeus had gone through about ten themselves over the last fifteen hundred years. Each one had been well take care of, so long as they understood they would never outshine the two Queens. Hades had done his best to avoid that reputation, but Minthe had just gotten her claws in him. Now, it seemed many others were under the impression they'd be the next 'her'. 

They didn't seem to realize that Hades was done. His entire body belonged solely to his Queen. He was monogamous, through and through, and no way was he ever going to hire anybody that might try to cause drama in his house. _Not that Persephone would ever doubt me, but why give more fodder to the gossiping masses_ He had already seen four gossip sites posting pictures of Persephone from the trial and walking out to the car this morning. They were trying to do anything to stir a scandal: hint a pregnancy, accuse her of being a gold digger, and claiming he kidnapped her in a fit of jealousy. 

His office door opened, and, sure enough, a lavender colored sea nymph stepped in. Her skirt was so tight, Hades wondered how she even managed to breathe. "No! No! Get out!" He hurled her paper down, as the woman stepped out, and dropped his head into his hands. Her resume had been minimum requirements at best, with only one year of experience assisting for Nike. "This needs to stop."

Surging to his feet, Hades stormed to the door and stepped into the reception area of his and Hecate's shared floor. Her P.A., a no-nonsense Lampad named Calla, looked up from across the sprawling room, and gave him a pitying look before shaking her head. Turning his attention to the chittering crowd, he groaned inwardly. There were twenty-four applicants still waiting, and almost every one looked like the last twenty. "Listen, I'm only going to say this once!"

Two or so dozen gorgeous faces turned to him, legs crossed making skirts expose smooth skin, and a few unnecessarily revealing shirts leaned forward. "I'm not my brothers. If you're here, hoping this job is going to get you a spot as a pampered mistress, just walk right to the fucking elevator." He gestured at the silver doors beyond them, gritting his teeth at the murmurs growing. None had moved. "Let me clarify, if I hire you, and you so much as hint at flirting with me, I will hand you directly over to my Queen. She kicked Apollo's ass. So, take that for what it's worth."

The room went silent for a moment, and then there was a rush to the elevator doors. "Why? Why? What the fuck did I do to deserve this?" He groaned, throwing his hands in the air. _There has to be a solution. I need a permanent P.A._

"Um, excuse me, I'm still here." A voice drew his attention to the only person remaining in the room. Hades blinked in shock, wondering how idiotic he must look ignoring one of his own realm's nymphs. A willowy lampad, with hair buzzed short on the left side, and her platinum blonde hair pin-straight on the right, stood from the sofa. "I'm Galina, Galina Lambros." She smoothed her tailored, but obviously slightly masculine pants. "I don't think you'l need to worry about me flirting with you." She extended her perfectly manicured hand, which Hades shook firmly. "My wife wouldn't be too pleased." She gestured over her shoulder at Calla, who blushed and practically hid behind her computer screen. 

"You're hired." Hades breathed out a sigh of relief, as he dropped her hand and stepped back.


	28. Chapter 28

Persephone approached the door to the restaurant, looking only briefly back at Basil who had walked over to talk to another unmistakable chauffeur with a peacock feather in his cap. As she approached the doorman, a rather proud looking satry, she jumped in surprise when his hooves clicked together and he gave a prim bow. "Dread Queen." Came his voice, deep, velvet, thick with seductive temptations she knew could drive mortal women and some nymphs to insanity. 

She stepped inside quickly, blinking at the change from bright daylight to relaxing dim lights. The restaurant was empty, barring wait staff prepping tables and rolling cutlery. For a moment, Persephone was afraid she was early, but a dryad the color of the richest ebony turned, her hair a wild but stunning tangle of curls, teeth whiter than ivory beneath eyes of the richest chocolate flashing in a broad smile hurried towards her. "Queen Persephone, Welcome!" 

Persephone was going to have to get used to the title, because the way the woman's entire countenance seemed to glow when she said it made her blush. She accepted the graceful curtsy with a smile, even if the woman's bright blue trousers made it look odd. "Hello, um, Amphora." She spotted the tag, slightly taken aback by why a dryad would name their child after a jar. 

"It's not my birth name. That's a long story." There was something in the woman's mystical voice that was achingly familiar to Persephone's spirit. "You probably don't remember me. My tree used to be on the outside of Lady Demeter's estate. I had it moved when you were only seven or so." Persephone tried to recall, but Mama had been very strict about which nymphs and dryads she was allowed to associate with at a young age. "Queen Hera asked me to escort you to her table." 

"Thank you." Persephone struggled to understand the admiration and gratitude in the woman's expression. It was so different from what she had experienced that morning at school. It stung her chest, making her throat tighten as the woman gestured her right arm. The light yellow cardigan over the feather emblazoned blouse shifted, revealing a nasty, palm shaped scar on her right bicep. It was a long healed burn, she knew without a doubt. 

"No, thank you." Again, Persephone couldn't understand the gratitude, because the same expression mortals had given her Mama when she'd blessed their newest field. Unable to stop herself, she took Amphora's hand, stilling her. 

"Why do you keep looking at me like I blessed you or revived your tree?" 

"Because, you punished Apollo." Amphora whispered, her eyes flashing pain for a moment. It was clear she didn't want to be overheard at all, so Persephone sucked in a breath before pulling the dryad in for a hug. "I wanted to tel people, but he is a god. They would never have taken me seriously. So, I applied here and Hera moved my tree to her garden." 

"Did she know?" Amphora shook her head softly, and Persephone pulled back ready to tell her she would support her if she came forward. 

"It was years ago, and she knew I was... hurt but not who. I don't want to relive it. I'm just happy to be under her protection." Amphora stepped back, smoothing her cardigan with a smile. "And happy he's paying. Please, keep this between us." 

"I will."

"The kitchens should be ready for food in about ten minutes, but QueenHera's already ordered your drinks." Amphora led Persephone out to a terrace area that was surrounded by fresh plants, beautiful trees, and a clear view of the mortal realm far below. 

Hera was seated at the table, her pretty face partially obscured by a black fascinator veil over her left eye, held in place by a white diamond comb. Persephone approached her, feeling that same uncertain nervousness of talking to the woman that had once held authority over her. "Your... I mean Hera." 

"Persephone!" Hera stood, smiling invitingly. Persephone hugged her briefly, before pulling back to sit. Then her smile fell slightly. "You've been crying." 

"I... I got suspended." Persephone blurted out, covering her mouth in shock at how blatantly she'd spoken. Hera slid her a cup with a pale blue liquid rimmed in cream colored sugar. She took it in her hands, sucking in a breath before looking up at the attentive queen. "You were right when you called last night. Everyone was talking, and all of it was so bad. I..I went off! I didn't hurt anyone, but I still used my powers-"

"Breathe!" Persephone cut herself off at Hera's laugh. "I understand, believe me. There's a reason Amphitrite and I never went to the University when it opened." Her words made Persephone look up from her drink in surprise. She had known the Kings had each attended at least one year, for sake of appearance, with Hades going through to a double Doctorate in Business and Finance. "Society... well they don't give us the same slack as they do our husbands."

Persephone bristled instinctively, having witnessed first hand exactly how Hades got treated in comparison to his brothers. "Now, hang on. Hades doesn't get slack from anyone." Hera arched an eyebrow, lifting her martini to her lips. "People treat him like he's some dark, angry, monster."

"And I guarantee you none of them would have the balls to whisper rumors in his ear-shot like they did you." Persephone tried to think of a refutal for that, but Hera continued, swirling her glass. "Nobody went after him for ripping an eyeball out of someone and breaking their legs." She scoffed slightly. "Except you. The point stands. Our husbands can do what they want, short of oppression and slavery, and nobody will say shit." 

Persephone lifted her glass to take a sip, stewing in the truth of Hera's words. Zeus wasn't painted an unfaithful, jerk by the media or mortals, ever. Yet, how many times had she seen Hera's response to his infidelities broadcasted to make her appear unhinged. The sting of the alcohol was mostly masked by the crisp, berry flavor. "So, I can't go back to school? That's not fair. I want to finish my degree!" 

"So, do it! Just remember that nobody is ever going to treat you the same again." Hera touched their glasses together, and Persephone wondered if she had known today would go like this. She'd been queen for almost two thousand years, had helped build Olympus from nothing, of course she'd known. "My advice, take online classes. That's what Eris has to do, now that she's in high school." The golden queen blew out a breath. "One too many riots when people piss her off." 

"I hadn't thought of that." Persephone took another drink and looked out over the view of the mortal realm. _The one reason I came to Olympus is going to slip away if I don't do something._ she could feel the tickle of an idea forming, that incessant urge to overthink. She knew if she dwelt on it, it would fade, so she set it aside to let it simmer on its own. "Thank you, Hera." She offered her new sister in law a hesitant smile. 

"Don't mention it." 

Persephone took another long drink as she tried to think of a subject change. She had no idea what to talk about with her, except gardens, but that wasn't the purpose behind their meeting. She was getting the distinct impression this was some induction ceremony. "So is that a business meeting or something, Amphitrite is at, with Alec?"

"No, Alec is one of her bootycalls when she's up here." Hera answered with a smile. Persephone nearly choked on her drink, wondering how she could mention Amphitrite cheating so casually. _She's the goddess of marriage!_ "Oh, my innocent little dove. Pose and Trite are in an open marriage. They are very open and honest with each other about other sexual partners." 

"What?" Persephone tossed back the rest of the drink to hide the flush in her cheeks. _I don't think I could ever be okay with Hades even kissing someone else_ "I don't think I could do that." She jumped in surprise as a waitress appeared with another drink before she could order. _I can barely figure out how sex with my own husband works, much less multiple partners_

"You won't have to. Hades had never been anything other than monogamous." A voice behind her made Persephone jerk, and she barely saved her drink as Amphitrite slid into a chair, tossing her green hair back to reveal her stunning, swirl, birthmarks. "Pleasure to finally meet you officially." A waiter hurried over with a menu and a tall, purple cocktail. 

"Hi!" Persephone could see, now that she was up close, just how stunning the Queen of the Seas was. She averted her eyes to the menu. There wasn't much in the way of vegetarian meals at all. "Um, can I have the gogges, but replace the chicken with mushrooms?" 

"Of course." The waitress smiled, turning to the other queens who ordered a lamb dish and honey glazed chicken respectively. "I'll have Amphora start on another round." 

"I really shouldn't be drinking so much." Persephone gestured at her cup, earning her laughs from the Queens. 

"What, Daddy doesn't like playing when you're drunk?" Amphitrite giggled, earning her hiss and tap on the arm from Hera. Persephone felt her cheeks flush in confusion. Obviously this was something sexual, but she wasn't understanding the references. "Don't smack me! She isn't staying innocent long!" Two sets of eyes skewered her with unmistakable curiosity. Persephone took a long drink to hide from their gazes. "Sooooo has he put you over his knees yet?"

Persephone swallowed her drink in her mouth in a gulp, making her eyes water. "No...why would he?" 

"Trite. Maybe he hasn't talked to her yet." Suddenly, it clicked in Persephone's mind. Hades had made a joke about preferring to give spankings. Eros had said Hades wouldn't hurt her in any way that actually hurt, and now Amphitrite was asking if she'd been put over his knee. "Or maybe she isn't comfortable-"

"He hasn't spanked me yet, but he pulled my hair and.. well... bit my neck, a lot." Persephone eased the high collar of her blouse down to reveal one vivid magenta spot. She quickly hid it again, shifting in her seat. She was dying to know more, but she was also acutely aware that until then Eros had been her only source of sex advice. 

"Listen, Persephone, one thing you need to learn is that these little get togethers are completely safe. We're here for each other, like our husbands are for their brothers. You don't have to talk about sex, but Bunny and I know Demeter didn't teach you a damn thing about sex." Amphitrite reached out to touch Persephone's arm, and her cool skin had Persephone meeting her eyes. "Sisters, remember." 

Persephone nodded, still unsure at how to voice the thoughts in her mind. Her phone went off in her pocket, and she pulled it out. 

**Best Friend: Mind telling me why I'm across the street from the Peacock getting a pedicure with Ma, and can feel your blush like a heatwave?**

**Best Friend: Oh, nm, I sense Gma and Aunt Trite are there. Have fun. Txt me L8r!**

Persephone closed Eros' messages before setting the phone down on the table. Hera and Amphitrite were in rather smug tones, talking about how Zeus had been home the last three nights, as well as extra attentive to her during the work day. "She walked in and caught him going down on you?" Amphitrite gasped. "She went home 'sick' after, didn't she? " Hera chuckled darkly and took a long sip. "I had to do the same thing with that smug river nymph that was temping last month. She thought because she got a little supply room romp, she was going to replace me. No ma'am! I had him in her desk chair the next morning when she came in. Looked her dead in the face and said 'Don't forget to turn on the phones!"

Both Queens erupted into laughter, and Persephone cleared her throat. They knew her husband better than Eros. In fact, Persephone was beginning to suspect that Hera and Hades may even have history, but she wasn't addressing that, yet. She had questions, and Eros could only give some insight based on his few readings. "He said he wants to choke me... is that... okay?" She almost regretted her question as Hera threw her hands up in a 'here we go' gesture and Amphitrite grinned broadly. "Because... when I think about how it felt when he bit my neck... it makes me want to try." 

"Oh, honey. You have no idea." Amphitrite laughed, nodding to Persephone's drink. "You may want to drink more, because you're about to be blushing like you've never blushed before. 

In Tower One, Hades set the fresh cup of coffee in front of Galina, who had immediately gotten to work upon being hired. "The calendar is a mess. I know. I'm sorry." He leaned down to squint over her shoulder at the computer screen. "Too many temps touching it." 

"I've gotten most of the month cleaned up, Sir." Hades blinked in shock at how the spreadsheet had been perfectly merged with the email calendar, and was neatly reflecting everything in neat, color coded sections. "Most of your lunch hours were slated for in office. I would suggest these three days to invite your new queen out for lunch." Galina flagged three sections in pink. "Not to be rude, Your Majesty, but until the rumors stop spreading, weekly lunches will help combat the accusations of a marriage of convenience or implications of pregnancy." 

"Didn't know you had background in PR work." Hades chuckled, feeling rather pleased at how well Galina was settling in. "Maybe I should have hired you on there instead." 

"Not really my thing. I don't do so well when it comes to the press. Last run in I had ended up with me using a camera to rearrange a dude's teeth." Galina shook her hair back with a chuckle. "I heard your last encounter didn't end so well for them either." 

"True, but Persephone made me give his eye back." Hades righted himself and adjusted his coat. "I'll get her class schedule, and then I'll need you to reserve tables somewhere that has a decent vegetarian menu review. Remember, her food is always vegetarian." 

"Now, you have a meeting in five with Poseidon over the new water lines for the housing development." Hades gave a wry chuckle. Making his way into his office, he shut the door and stripped off his coat. Lighting a cigar, he retrieved his decanter of whisky from the minibar hidden in the Guardian Seal and began pouring out decent amounts. Conferences with Poseidon were never about approving anything. Their contracts were negotiated over Sunday brunch. These meetings were an excuse for a midday cigar, food, and drinks without Zeus being an insufferable ass.

Setting one on his desk, he held the other one and snagged his phone. Persephone hadn't responded to his text before the interviews, and giving Galina access and pointers for the system had taken two hours. So, when he saw a text from five minutes before, he took a drag and opened it with a smile. 

**Little Goddess :-* : Hey! I miss you too!**

**How was school, Sweetness?**

There was a brief delay, followed by a gif of a table being flipped. Hades had known it wouldn't be easy, but he'd hoped that with Persephone's sweet personality she'd be able to work around his reputation

**Oh, Babygirl, I'm sorry. Want to talk about it?**

**Little Goddess :-* : No, I'm not in the mood to talk.**

A rush of waves and the smell of salt distracted Hades from his response. Poseidon had appeared, holding his contribution to the meeting, sushi from his personal chef. "Fair warning, Trite and Hera took Persephone out for lunch at The Peacock." His brother's warning came in sync with his phone going off. 

"Oh, fuck." Hades chuckled, knowing full well what lunch with the other two Queens was going to lead to. Hopefully Persephone had the wherewithal to not let them talk her into getting completely tanked at noon on a Tuesday. "She had a bad day at school too." 

**Little Goddess :-* : There are other ways to make me feel better, Your Majesty.**

Hades nearly choked on his cigar smoke, only to feel his cock twitch at the picture image that followed of her cream colored painted lips around the straw of a blue cocktail. "Trite is corrupting my innocent little Sweetness!" He rounded on Poseidon, as his brother opened the sushi. 

"Like you weren't already." Poseidon grinned wickedly, flopping onto the sofa and propping his feet up. "Don't worry. I made it very clear that Persephone isn't up for seduction, Mr. Monogamy." Hades flicked his brother off as he grabbed his own sushi and planted himself in his seat. "Married looks good on you, bro. I'm assuming Minthe isn't taking it well. Has she threatened an uprising yet?"

Instantly, Hades felt his face split into a smile. He couldn't help it. He knew, deep deep down, that some part of him really should be mourning Minthe. Yet, he couldn't. There was just so much toxicity linked to his memories with her, fueled by her words and the physical abuse of their last encounter, and that toxicity was sweetly neutralized by the way his sweet, adorable, compassionate Queen had exacted her judgement.

"Minthe isn't a problem anymore." Hades watched as the volcano roll dropped from Poseidon's chopsticks, as his brother's eyes widened in delight. "Persephone turned her into a plant, and then gave it to me in a drink."

"Okay, that's hot though. I mean, my wife riding me in my PA's office chair while telling her to go turn on the phones is hot, okay, but that. Mmmmhmmmm" He popped his retrieved roll into his mouth and feigned swooning. 

His phone dinged, and Hades opened it to find another image, filled with pink and cream. His previously ignored cock twitched as he registered it was a picture of Persephone's breasts encased in a satin bra, with her shirt pushed up, and the grape and ivy pattern of The Peacock restrooms behind her. 

**Little Goddess :-* : In case you forget what's waiting at home when you're done interviewing PAs**

**Oh I remember. New PA is hired. Her name is Galina and her wife is Hecate's PA.**

**You're a very naughty girl for sending me these! What if I'm in a board meeting? What if I was casting my phone to a projector screen?**

**Little Goddess :-* : I didn't think about that. Are you mad?**

**Fuck no, Babygirl. Send me pics like this all day. I'd never cast my phone to a projector.**

**Are you drinking? Is that the Peacock?**

Hades picked up his own food, while dropping his cigar into an ash tray. "Everything my wife does is hot." He hummed in contentment at the word, before popping a crab roll into his mouth. He didn't often get to go into his sex life like his brothers did. They never wanted to hear about Minthe. Yet, he trusted Poseidon not to rag him about it, not like Zeus would anyways. "The thing is, she's just so... innocent. I want to introduce her to things, But after what she's been through I don't know how." 

"Just ask her to try it." Poseidon offered, picking up his drink. Hades chewed his food thoughtfully, "or ask Eros to read her. I guarantee he's already been telling her what he read off you." He hadn't thought of that, although, he would never violate her privacy that way, wife or not. He didn't care if Eros told her things, because he'd already dropped hints himself. "Remember, Trite was an innocent little water lily until I put a crown on her." 

"True!" Hades mumbled around his food. His phone dinged again, and he set his drink down to get it. It had taken quite a few folks by surprise that the demure Amphitrite, who had first fled from Poseidon's flirting, ended up being as open and confident as she was now. 

**Little Goddess :-* : A little! Hera invited me out to meet Amphitrite.**

**Little Goddess :-* : I'm not getting drunk though! I promise!**

**No need to promise me anything, Sweetness. Basil will get you home in one piece. You have as much fun as you want.**

**Little Goddess :-* : You're the best!**

He looked up to find Poseidon snickering at his phone. "What?" The green god slipped it back in his pocket. "What's so funny?" Hades' phone buzzed, as his middle brother had sent a picture to the group chat with Zeus. 

Amphitrite was posing with a self satisfied grin in the left side of the photo, but behind her, Hera and Persephone had both divulged themselves of their more conservative sweaters, popped a few buttons to show some cleavage, and were sharing what looked like a very large, very alcoholic root-beer float, with two straws. Persephone had whip cream on her nose and Hera's usual fascinator, comb, or crown had been replaced by a circlet of wildflowers. Hades swallowed as he caught sight of the vivid bite mark he'd left on his wife when he'd taken her against the wall of the pool. 

**The Supreme Three  
King Top: Fuck our wives are hot.   
Keep Them Wet: Duh!   
Hades: For once I'm in absolute agreement with you. **

"Why are we group chatting when we're right here?" Hades snorted, setting his empty lighting his cigar again to admire how happy and absolutely delicious his wife looked. _Wife... I don't think I'll ever get over how fucking perfect she is._

"Because Zeus doesn't know about Tuesday Sushi day." Poseidon reminded him, before helping himself to a cigar. "I see your tendency to mark your territory isn't gone." The phone buzzed, and Hades glanced back at the chat.

**King Top has changed Hades' nickname to _Pink Nibbler_  
Keep Them Wet laugh reacted to King Top has changed Hades' nickname to _Pink Nibbler_  
Pink Nibbler: Keep it up, and I'll have her turn you into a plant like she did Minthe!  
King Top: *gif of puppy spitting water out.* *gif of Hermes' shocked look* *gif of Hera ashing a cigarette and arching an eyebrow*  
King Top has changed Pink Nibbler's nickname to _Blue Daddy_  
Blue Daddy: I fucking hate you. I have work to do.  
King Top: No! I need details! She turned her into a plant? **

"So, by the amount of alcohol she's consuming, the rumors that Persephone is pregnant are fake." Poseidon snickered, as Hades took a draw off his cigar and arched an eyebrow. "Good, one less thing for Demeter to murder you over when she comes back in four days." 

"Four!" Hades shot up in his chair, feeling his stomach clench. "How can you be sure?"

"Triton's got himself a delicious little Selkie he's been playing with. Apparently Braciaca is expecting Demeter tomorrow night for some festival. That's supposed to last two days, and it'll take her about another day to get home." 

"Fuck." Hades picked up his glass and threw a mouthful back as Poseidon set his own empty one aside. "Fuck! Okay. I need a plan."

"Don't look at me, man. Demeter is still mad at me for trying to seduce her at the Panathea last year." Poseidon threw his hands up with a look of 'not my ass man'. "You're gonna need Zeus on this one. She is technically his subject." 

Hades popped his cigar back between his teeth and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll keep you updated." With a rush of waves, Poseidon was gone. _This is going down like a Titan to Tartarus._ Picking up his phone, Hades scrolled through his contacts. _I wonder if Persephone would enjoy a trip to Egypt or Rome...._

Before he could dial up Pluto or Anubis, Persephone sent a text, and his heart melted and swelled with pride at the contents. 

**Little Goddess :-* : I have my first major idea to do as Queen! I'll tell you later, after you help me break in this new furniture set I bought for the garden.**

Attached was a picture of Persephone perched quite seductively on a white, wrought iron table surrounded by fake plants of Hera's favorite home decoration store. The satin of her bra was slightly visible through her still unbuttoned blouse, and the cream colored lace of her thigh highs was peeking its way from under the rich, burgundy skirt she'd worn. 

**Give me one reason I shouldn't come up there and break it in before its loaded onto the delivery truck?**

**Bunny: Because I'm not letting her text you pics until we change locations.**  
A picture came through of Hera in the waiting area of one of Aphrodite's more exclusive lingerie stores, Persephone's phone in her fingers, those gold lips twisted up in a smirk  
 **Bunny: Now do some work, and you're welcome in advance.**

Hades swallowed hard, trying to ignore the image of his sweet goddess in the white leather and lace teddy that had been on display behind Hera's head. It was going to be a long five hours.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some angst  
> First fight/misunderstanding   
> Foundations of Daddy Dom/Little Goddess dynamic set

Hades tossed his keys into the bowl, as Cerberus went barreling down the hall barking for his new favorite parent. A breeze was filling the hall, wild with the scent of fresh blooms and spring rain. The rest of the pack was howling, and he found himself half sprinting down the hall to see what his precious girl was up to. Upon finding the kitchen empty, he was puzzled, until he registered the door cracked. He stripped off his coat, tossing it aside as Cerberus nosed it open. Stepping outside, he gasped in shock.

The barren garden was transformed. The open edges were now walled by twenty foot high rose bushes, with random, bare branches creating trellises and arches. Those were adorned by the sweetest, freshest jasmine Hades had ever smelled. The barren soil was gone, covered in the richest, freshest grass he'd ever stepped on, with patterns of open dirt that were obviously designed to be filled with rocks. 

The pathway way led toward the orchard, and Hades followed it, taking care to step only in the bare spaces. The howls were coming from somewhere out of sight, and as he ventured farther in, a soft pink light flickered into existence. The pathway open, and Hades found himself falling in love with his wife for the fifth time that day. 

Persephone was standing barefoot, in a stunning golden tea dress. Her hair was long, floating around her in the windless air. Her skin glowed, as pink pale blue butterflies flittered around her outstretched arms. Her head was tilted back, a look of rapture on her face, with her eyes closed as if dreaming. All around her, more and more rose bushes were growing, creating a barrier from the road and open field. 

Wild flowers were bursting up in seemingly chaotic patterns, but from an angle Hades swore one section looked like Cordon Bleu. Beyond her, through one final archway of jasmine, was the orchard. It was also in full bloom, the most stunning he'd ever seen it. The pack was chasing each other through the grass, beneath the pomegranate trees, apparently in total love with the changes. Just to her right, the new garden furniture was set up, next to a massive stone fire pit. 

Hades stood silent, in awe of the beauty on display before him. He felt flowers bloom in his hair, and his crown shimmer into existence as her power hit him in waves. The same raw, feral, lethal that her sway over the dead aroused was stirred in a new way. Instead of visions of Persephone on a throne, encased in the finest black gowns, with judgement on her tongue, Hades saw Kore.

She was dressed in the sweetest greys and creams, dancing through the gardens and orchard, as the pups chased her. Her belly was rounded with child, breasts full nearly spilling from her silk robes, all evidence of her fertility, and his birth name was on her lips in a sweet beckon. He could feel the powers of precious stones and metals racing in his veins, verging on loss of control, and the spell broke. 

The powers faded, and Hades found himself drowning in her soft gaze and glowing smile. "Hi Handsome." She stepped forward, levitating up, and Hades caught her in his arms. "I missed you today." 

"I missed you too, Sweetness" Her lips met his, and Hades felt his world spin. He scooped an arm under her rear, slipping his fingers into her hair to cradle her head. There was no taste of the alcohol she'd consumed at lunch on her tongue, but Hades could feel it in the slightly slowed ways she was touching him, how her kisses were just a bit clumsy. "Mmmm still tipsy?" He hummed into her cheek, breathing in the sweet scent of the fading flowers on her skin. 

"Yes, Sir." There was a lilt in her voice behind the title that made Hades swallow. _Oh, Sweetness, don't start tempting me now._ Hades eased her back to her feet, grazing his fingers along her bare shoulders. "I made dinner." Persephone took his hand, leading him to the table. He hadn't noticed, until that moment, that she had put up matching wrought iron posts and hung lanterns. "Little Goddess, you've out done yourself. This is incredible."

"I was thinking, maybe, it'd be nice to have somewhere to have parties." She said Softly, as Hades sat. He loosened his tie, humming when she looped her arms around his neck to lift the lid off the tray waiting for him on the table. "Sorry, I'm still full from lunch and then snacks while shopping." Her words momentarily distracted Hades from the food, but when she pulled her lips back he was pleasantly surprised to find she had cooked him a steak. 

"I've never cooked beef before, so I hope it's good." Eager to appease her worry, Hades picked up the knife and fork to cut a piece of. He was pleased to find she'd gotten it the perfect medium rare he preferred. Popping it into his mouth, he groaned at the explosion of flavor. The herbs and spices she'd prepped the meat with was beyond amazing, and he groaned. "Don't tease me!" He eagerly cut off another piece, even as Persephone tugged the hair at the back of his neck playfully. "Be honest."

"It's perfect. Even if it wasn't, I'd still ask for seconds. Gods, I love when you cook for me. I've never had that before." Hades caught himself a bit too late, as that deep feeling of his affections being one sided hit him for the first time since they first kissed. _It never bothered me before, so why does it sting now_

"Hera said this is your favorite beer." Persephone pulled one from a small bowl of ice he'd neglected to see, and she popped the top with a bottle opener on the side. Hades accepted his drink, grinning as it was his favorite. _See... this is what I mean. Even half drunk and out with the ladies, I was on her mind. She's so perfect._

"Thanks, Sweetness. You spoil me." Hades turned his cheek to kiss her knuckles when Persephone's hands landed on his shoulders. Then, smelling the fragrant vegetables she'd sautéed in some fruit sauce, Hades eagerly took a bite of that. Again, he was overwhelmed by the flavor. He could practically taste the love she had poured into it. 

"I'm glad you're enjoying it." Persephone's tint fingers began to move along his shoulders, and Hades damn near melted into his chair. _And a massage? Gaia's golden locks, I'm the luckiest god in the universe._ He took a swig of beer, not even bothering to will his body into behaving. Persephone's lips were soft and warm against his neck when she slid her arms around to fully unknot his tie and free three of his buttons. Then her magic fingers went to work again.

Hades let himself sink into the combined pleasure of luxurious food, the fragrant garden, and the woman he loved working his stress away. Nobody before had ever done so much for him without seeking recompense. It was so soothing, like balm on tiny wounds deep in his soul he'd refused to believe existed. When his plate was empty, and his beer had been replaced, Hades obliged Persephone having him scoot his chair back so she could perch on his lap. Her bare feet didn't even reach the grass, and her golden tea dress fell gracefully around her, creating an air of the innocence that had lately been hiding behind fear. 

"So... I've been thinking." Hades barely registered her words, as a bead of condensation from his beer dropped from the brown bottle to splash on the swell of her left breast's cleavage. He was completely and utterly transfixed with the words she'd sent earlier, about breaking in this ver table. "I just need something from you to do it, Big Blue." The spell was broken, as old feelings, came back fo life. Her fingers stroked his neck, but Hades caught them, setting his beer down, pain tightening his chest. His mouth was opening before he could stop it. 

"Don't call me that. Get up." Persephone froze in his lap, but Hades couldn't bear to look at her. The food became boulders in his stomach, and his heart pounded in painful disbelief. "Get off of me !" He knew he was growling as he dropped her hands in her lap. Persephone was scrambling from his lap, face twisted. Nearby, Cerberus whined, but Hades ignored him. "I'm your fucking husband. You don't have to bribe or guilt me into helping you with shit. You just have to ask." He pushed himself to his feet. "You know where the bank account information is. Do what you want." 

_I should have known. One afternoon, just one, with them and she's already playing the games._ Hades brushed Cerberus away as he began prowling up the dark pathway. Of course something this magical, this seemingly selfless, was going to have a pricetag. "Big Blue.... always... ugh! I wish Hera would never have called me that in front of Minthe!" He seethed. "Fuck!" He slammed his now empty bottle down on the counter. Out of habit, or maybe hope, he found himself looking back at the path. While the pups had come after him, there was no sight of the little pink goddess. "I need a fucking smoke." Toss his tie aside, his stalked up to his office and slammed the door. 

Persephone stared numbly at the empty seat. "I don't understand. I didn't... I was just..." she turned to Hades, expecting for him to be pacing, but he was gone. The dogs were running up the path, whimpering. She found herself alone in the garden she'd made for them to make love in. "Oh sugar snaps." She tried to hold back the tears, as she stacked his dishes on the tray and dumped the ice in the firepit. Then, stacking all the dirty stuff in the bowl, she carried the dishes up the path. 

The kitchen was empty too, with his coat snd tie discarded over the table. The sight of them broke her tears. "I... I just wanted to help him unwind. I don't understand." She rinsed his plate off, sniffing hard, trying to quell the panic and rejection in her chest, and she loaded it into the dishwasher. "I didn't want money. I just wanted to tell him my idea. I wanted to ask him about his needs. What did i do wrong?" 

The house seemed extraordinarily large as Persephone dragged herself up the stairs. She wanted to go to him, to talk to him, but Hades obviously didn't want to talk to her. "I don't know what I did wrong." She murmured to Russel, who met her in the hall by the bedroom. The sweet baby whined and looked up the short flight of stairs towards the study. All the rest of the dogs were piled outside of the door, except Cordon, who was chewing on a bone twice his size, that looked suspiciously like a human femur.

"I'm so stupid. I thought I understood how to make him feel wanted." She pushed open the door to the bedroom, exhaling brokenly as she took in the mess of petals and sapphires from their pre-work and school morning romp. "I screwed it up. I'm so stupid." She sank to the sheets, as burning shame tightened in her stomach. It ate at her, like a flaming locust on new leaves. 

Her tears were completely unleashed now. There was no holding them back. Her mind flailed for some logical answer. Then she dove for her purse. "Maybe it's all the money I spent. I told Hera I wasn't comfortable using so much." The receipt for the garden decor should have been there, but it wasn't. Picking up her phone, she blindly punched at the screen, dialing Hera. It rang four times before going to voicemail. "Shit!" She swore softly, sinking to the floor, dialing Amphitrite next. Again, she got voicemail.

"It was a stupid Idea." Persephone dropped her phone to the floor and wiped her tears on her dress. The new mascara smudged across the gold material, which only made it seem all the worse. She'd bought the dress special for him to unzip and lay her on in the grass. Somehow, she'd fucked it up. _He's never raised his voice at me. This is my fault. My stupid fault for thinking I was ready to make a move as Queen._

The air was growing colder, but Persephone didn't have the energy to do more than pull her knees to her chest and sob. "He wouldn't even look at me." She whispered into her knees, wiping her eyes and nose on the soft material of her skirts. "Three days, and I'm already the worst wife ever. I just wanted... I wanted him to be proud of me. I'm just a stupid village girl." She tried to calm the aching sobs of failure, in order to stand. 

The look on Hades' face, the utter disappointment that had taken him from amused lover to cold rejector, had been too much. It stabbed into her gut. _Do what you want!_ His harsh growl bit through her mind, making it nearly impossible to breathe. "I don't even know what I broke. How can I fix it? How could I be so naive to think I could ever be enough for him?" 

Persephone staggered to her feet, going to the closet. She stripped off her dress, throwing it on the floor as she took in the white lingerie Hera had convinced her to buy. She'd avoided white since the attack, but Hera had said she needed to reclaim it. "Stupid... stupid Kore! You're never going to get this right! Can't even seduce your own husband for garden sex. Some queen!" 

Persephone tore her eyes away from her reflection and reached up until her fingers found her hidden tiara. She plucked it from her hair, staring at the raw but mesmerizing gems. "I failed him, and I don't understand how." She reached out to set the diadem on a shelf. This was his bed, and he needed space. She needed to cry in private, until she figured out how to fix whatever she destroyed. Her only option was the guest room. 

"Put it back on." Warm skin pressed against her back, and Persephone felt what little control she was regaining shatter when Hades reached around her to pick her diadem back up and settle it into place on her hair. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have run out. I shouldn't have yelled." Suddenly, she was being turned, and Hades was on one knee, cupping her face. "It's just... that name." 

"Big Blue?" Hades nodded, his face shadowing and Persephone felt even more stupid. "I didn't know. I was just trying out nicknames. You have so many for me! I hardly have any for you except Your Majesty. Trite recommended Big Blue or Big Blue Daddy....." she found her voice trailing off as Hades' frown was broken by a flash of scarlet irises and a sharp intake of breath. 

"Big Blue is what my exes all called me." Hades felt his heart racing at the word that had tumbled from that pretty, delicate mouth. Paired with the tear stained face, he found his disappointment with himself for storming away shift into something else, something he hadn't unleashed since the mischievous dryad he'd dated before Minthe. "But that last bit." He didn't have to wonder if she would be opposed to it, after all, Persephone had no attachment to the title. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't know! I was trying to be... be... playful and seductive and I mmmmm" Hades placed his thumb over her salt caked lips, silencing her needless apology. 

"You were perfect Sweetness. It was my fault. I over reacted." He ghosted his thumb down to her chin, stroking softly. Hades needed to hear it again. "You were just trying to please me. I messed up, Little Goddess." Two more fat tears rolled down her cheeks, and Hades brushed them away. "Can you forgive me?" 

"Yes!" Hades breathed in relief as Persephone threw her arms around him. He cradled her to his chest, sinking to the floor and leaning against the mirrored door. Softly, he peppered kisses over her face, not caring a damn about the smeared mascara. "You liked that nickname, Daddy." Her voice was shy, almost hesitant. Hades pulled back to read her eyes and nodded, feeling his pulse pound. "Me too, and... I know what it means if I call you that."

"I think it's time we talked." Hades pressed a kiss to her nose, and he shivered when Persephone shifted in his lap and nuzzled her face into his neck. 

"Like we always do. With me on top, wrapped in the blanket." Hades waisted no time in scooping her up, standing, and carrying her to their bed.


	30. Chapter 30

Persephone tightened the blanket around her shoulders with one hand, leaning back against Hades' thighs when he bent his knees behind her. She still felt insecure and weepy, despite Hades having just left no inch of her face and neck unkissed. "Shhhhh, it's okay. I told you. It's my fault." He squeezed her other hand, while his other hand rubbed her thighs. "Stop blaming yourself. I can see it in your pout." Persephone drew in a deep breath, trying to force her lingering tears away. "Good girl." 

Those two words, like always, shone through the self doubt and insecurity, making the ball of emotions in her chest loosen. She released her blanket to reach down and touch his map of scars. "Don't blame yourself either, please." She watched as his brow unfurrowed some, and his touches on her knuckles and thigh became softer. "You've been hurt too, and I don't know how to ask you to tell me about it." 

"I know. I should. I will, but not tonight." Hhis thumb flicked over the white lace still covering her hips. "Tonight... we need to talk about this." Hades rolled his hips up under her gently. "I've been avoiding it, because... because I didn't want to stir up anything Apollo may have done." She nodded softly, acutely aware of just how much Hades had been holding back. Amphitrite and Hera, mostly Hera after Amphitrite left, had explained what new experiences lay behind Hades' petnames of Little Goddess and Sweetness. She loved him for it, but she wasn't afraid. 

"The first time you called me Little Goddess." Persephone swallowed, feeling her cheeks flush as she recalled the very first time she'd shiver of desire to obey war with the need to get her way. "In your office, when you took my chin and bent over to tell me no." Hades lips parted and Persephone felt his fingers tighten on her thigh. "Tell me what you really wanted to do." Hades swallowed visibly. 

"I wanted pin you to the wall by your throat and kiss you into obedience, that's what." She felt that same sensation flood through her again. "Then, when you hustled me at chess. Fuck, Sweetness, I wanted to put you over my knee and remind you who was in charge."

"That's not all you want to do to me." Persephone watched as Hades closed his eyes for a moment, and she touched his chest softly, resuming her strokes across him. "What if.... I wanted to try these things. W-w-w-what if the thought of you being rough with me...makes me feel.. I feel." She struggled to put it into definition. Scared but safe, protected but encouraged, empowered but so fragile... the words and feelings all jumbled in her brain. 

"Words, Little Goddess. Use them." Hades voice was soft, with an edge of authority that seemed to shuffle the emotions into order. "You feel..."

"Cherished." The word tumbled from her tongue, and the way his entire face lit up made her wriggle in delight. "But there's more, and I don't know how to word it. I don't know how to word half the things you make me feel. I just know..." She blew out a breath, letting her hair fall in her face to hide the heat rising to her cheeks. "I want you to help me, teach me, and show me how to make sense of how I can feel so... so... in charge and powerful, but also as fragile as a butterfly's wing."

"I can do that-" 

Persephone reached over to cover his lips with a finger. She was still struggling to make sense of her desires, but one was so loud, so demanding, that if she didn't tell him, she may explode. It had been there since the very first time she'd seen how everyone except his brothers and their wives treated him. Learning what Minthe had done, and getting the brief backstory through his reaction outside, it was so intense it clogged her throat. "I also want to make you feel loved and appreciated and valued and needed, because you're so amazing and I hate how much you've been used and neglected and-" She whimpered when Hades pushed himself up to kiss her softly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Sweetness." He kissed her nose ever so gently before laying back down. "Do you understand what you're offering me?" Persephone paused at the way the question was phrased. _How am I offering him anything? I'm taking-_ Hades next words cut her thoughts off. "You trust me with this, with your power, with your body..." His fingers danced up her ribs, but it didn't tickle as usual. It felt like a brand, like a claiming that promised an infinitude of freedom and pleasure. "With your everything?"

"Yes." There was no doubt in her mind, and Persephone found herself flooded with need when his diamond hard nail pressed into her stomach and dragged a line down to where the lace separating her from his abdomen began. She was trapped in his gaze, completely enraptured by the way his scarlet eyes worshiped her and devoured her and commanded her. 

"There will be rules." Persephone nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but Hades arched his eyebrow and she shut her lips. "I need to think on them, but there is one that I have been dying to hold you accountable for since I stood in that door way and listened to you." He was sitting up in an instant, and Persephone found herself cradled in his lap as he took her chin in hand. 

"Tell me."

"Never, and I mean this, never talk down on yourself again. You are not stupid. You are not the worst wife ever." Persephone entirely exposed as his eyes flicked between hers, and the soft tone in his voice threatened to renew her self doubts again. "I'm so sorry I made you feel those things, because they aren't true!" She sniffed once, licking her dried lips as he stroked her chin with his thumb. "You are so smart and you are the best wife in all the realms. The next time I hear it, there will be corrective actions. Do you understand me?" Persephone nodded, fiddling with her thumbs as she held his gaze. She'd heard that tone before, when he was at work and reminding some desk person of break times. "Words, Sweetness." 

Persephone felt like she was standing on a precipice. The world was teetering, balanced on the set of his proud jaw, held in place by his fingers stroking her spine, and relying only on his lips to keep from crashing. His lips parted, and she stepped off into the open air. "Yes, Your Majesty." She breathed, her heart pounding, as Hades stole her lips and caught her freefall. 

There was something different in it, something she didn't quite comprehend, but she loved it. After what felt like a breath, Hades broke free to cup her face. "Rule, two, well this should have been one, you need to think of a word, any word, that means 'stop'." 

"Purple." The word jumped unbidden from her tongue, and Hades' eyes darkened. "Sorry.... sorry..." His thumb slipped over her lips, silencing her tenderly. 

"Purple is perfect. Remember that word, and use it, always. I don't care if its during sex or we're out somewhere and you feel uncomfortable. Purple means 'stop.'" Hades lips were warm against her brow, and Persephone felt an odd sense of relief at his acceptance of the word. 

"What if I break that rule?" She asked, pulling back enough to gauge his expression. That brooding look she so adored returned, as he drew in a deep breath. 

"If I ever find out you didn't use it, that you let me hurt you that badly or cause you some sort of emotional pain, I don't know what I would do. Probably throw myself in Tartarus." There was no humor in his voice, and Persephone knew in her core that he wasn't kidding. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"I love you." 

"I love you too." Persephone whimpered when Hades slipped his fingers into her hair, fisting them, pulling her head back to expose her throat. She yielded willingly, loving how his large tongue curled over her stretched skin. "Need you." Desire had exploded inside of her, like the conversation had been distracting from it building. She was starving for him, for his touch, to feel him stretch her, to feel him fill her.

"I know Sweetness." His teeth pulled at the skin where her jaw met her neck, drawing keen of delight from her chest. "First, I want you to understand how sorry I am for shouting-"

"Stop apologizing." Persephone, curled her arms around him. She didn't want to think about the fight anymore. It was over, done with. His fingers tightened, making her scalp throb in delicious tension as he growled into her neck. "Please." She breathed, eyes fluttering, trying to fall back and pull him with her. Hades teeth found her pulse point and pulled, as one hand slid to her rear and cupped it. 

"Words, Little Queen." He tutted, making her heart flutter in anticipation. "Tell me what you want. Tell _Daddy_ what his Sweetness needs." The word came off his tongue, and Persephone felt like liquid fire flooded her veins. "If you don't he'll have you how he wants." 

"Fuck me." Persephone whimpered as Hades ripped his lips away to grab her chin with a growl. His eyes narrowed, flicking between hers, as if trying to discern an error on one of his reports. "Fuck me, Please." 

"That language is not acceptable for good Little Goddesses." She felt her cheeks flush as his lips twisted up in a smirk. "Rule three, if I hear you swear you get five spankings. Do you understand me, Sweet Kore?" 

"Yes, Sir!" Persephone's core tightened in excited anticipation. "But... but... what if I want you hard and rough. If I can't say fuck, what do I say?" His eyes flashed red, and she meeped as she realized she'd already broken the rule. She slapped her hand over her mouth, heart pounding.

"You will say 'take me'." Hades released he hair, and with a soft shove, Persephone found herself tumbling back into the sheets. "Roll over." She did as she was told, and Hades hand was on her rear, squeezing the right cheek as if measuring something. "Mmmm your ass is so perfect. Remind me to have you pose for a sculptor. This should not be left up to mortal interpretation."

"Yes." 

"Yes, _What_ Sweetness?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." 

"You will count. Look back at me and hold the pillow tight, Little Queen." Persephone turned her head, scrambling to pull the pillow tight under her. "Relax, because if you tense up it will hurt more. I am disciplining you, not beating you. I do not want this to be any more than a reprimand." 

"Yes, SIR!" Persephone cried out Hades' palm collided with her rear in a solid smack. The sound filled the room, as the delayed pain echoed through her pelvis and thighs. It burned, throbbing in a way that was as delicious as it was painful, and his eyes never left hers. "One!" She whined, squeezing her pillow to her chest, as her body tried to accommodate the desire for another and the reflex to flee pain at once. 

She barely had time to register his palm raising before it collided with her flesh again, a bit harder, but still as painfully delicious as the last. "Two." She panted, her thighs pressing together as the need for friction erupted deep inside of her. _Oh fuck! I didn't know it could feel so..._ "THREE!" Her train of thought was obliterated as he delivered another sharp blow. Her eyes fluttered shut, but before she could rectify that mistake, another strike fell, no harder, but slightly lower, lighting the underside of her right cheek with hot need. She forced her eyes open, struggling for breath as her toes curled as tightly as her fingers were. "Four!" Hades' lips were parted now, eyes thick with lust and hunger, and she keened at the way her whole body was pleading for more and yet relief. The final blow came down, and Persephone felt her hair bloom at the impact. "Five." She mewled. 

"Oh, Good Girl." Hades hands were on her sensitized skin again, only now they were soft. He rubbed circles on both sides, kneading her flesh in his palms as he licked his lips. "You did very, very well, Sweetness, relax for me. Lay your head down, gather your breath." 

"Yes, Sir." She melted into the sheets, although her body was begging for him. No sooner did her eyes close, than his mouth was on her with his hands, laving open kisses along her skin, soothing the inflamed flesh with his tongue. The pain was fading, although the other sensations it had brought were being stoked higher under his ministrations. 

"Were these expensive?" He hummed, and she felt his fingers curling under the edge of panties. _One hundred and twenty drachma for those alone. Please don't ask about the bra._

"Y-y-yes. Is that okay? Hera insisted a queen-" Her words were cut off by the sound of lace ripping and him lifting her hips to yank the apparently offensive panties from between her thighs and under her. "Hey!" Persephone jerked her head up, trying to roll over. She didn't know whether to slap him or jump on his lap.

"Did I tell you to turn over?" He flipped her back onto her stomach with ease, and Persephone huffed indignantly. "Now lay still, I want to admire this view." She did as she was told, but found herself pouting. _I want to touch him. I need to touch him. I need him inside me!_ She let him ease her legs apart, shivering as the cool air met her soaked and heated curls. "So wet for me already, Little Goddess. Good..." Pleasure course through her as Hades trailed one finger through her folds, teasing her center. "Well that stopped the pouting, didn't it?" His finger trailed her nectar up, over the offended flesh of his smacks.

"No, Sir." Persephone lifted her head again, blowing her hair from her face before deliberately letting her face fall into a display of open petulance. "I _need_ you! Please! Please Take me!" His fingers squeezed her rear again, and Persephone groaned impatiently. "Don't hold back, Please, Daddy!" The response was instantaneous. 

She was on her back in a flash, and Hades was undoing his trousers. "Take that bra off now, Little Goddess or so help me Gaia I will rip it off." The order came with such ferocious authority that Persephone nearly kicked him in her rush to sit up enough to unsnap it and toss it aside. Then the Eldest of the Gods, King of the Underworld, and her husband was knocking her thighs apart with his knee. 

Persephone cried out as he began stroking her, stretching her slightly with two fingers while he stroked his proud erection with the other. "You may swear, if you need to. You may touch yourself, if you can manage it, and you may come. You may not call me anything besides Sir, Your Majesty, or Daddy." 

"Yes Sir!" Persephone gasped, as he curled his fingers up before sliding then out. She found her lips parting, anticipatory of the way he sometimes instructed her to taste. Her entire body hummed as he spread her nectar along his length. Then his lips were on hers and he was thrusting into her.

Persephone clung to him, immediately wrapping her legs around Hades' waist as he set into a merciless pace. She couldn't think, could find words, only feel his hunger as he bit her lip sharply before descending to her neck. "Mine!" He growled, as she dissolved into mewls and shouts. Each thrust was impossibly deep and so hard she found the breath stolen from her. She was aware if her nails digging into his back, dragging over scars, but she had no control over herself. 

One of his hands dug into her thighs, amplifying the sensation of his relentless rhythm. The other was fisted in her hair, pulling her head to the side, as his lips closed over the junction of her shoulder and neck, where his teeth pulled at her skin. "Yes! Fuck!" She was vaguely aware of her own cries, as Hades did something, and his thrusts came in at an upward angle. Her already overwhelmed body, sang in response. Not only was he hitting that spot inside of her, but the speed and intensity was forcing her folds apart and one of his scars was rubbing against her. 

"You better come for me, Little Goddess." Persephone panted for breath, trying in vain to find purchase on his back as his skin became slicked with sweat. "I fucking want it!" She could feel the coil tightening deep inside of her, as each thrust propelled her to the edge. "Yes... yes! It's mine! Give it to me!" 

Persephone shouted as his hand left her hair, as her body was forced higher, higher, unable to do more than cling to him as she stretched around his body. She was so close, so close. "Fuck! Please, don't stop!" She had never felt so perfectly overwhelmed and yet in need of more. Suddenly, his weight shifted, and she tumbled away from the edge. 

"You said not to hold back, right?" 

"Yes! Don't hold back! Show me!" Persephone begged as she tried to pull him back, but he never faltered, knocking her hand away. 

"Touch yourself." His fingers slid up her chest. "Now!" His shout was breathless,'and Persephone threw her hand down, scrambling to please him, to return herself to the edge. Her eyes flew shut, as she was hurtled up to the edge again.

"Fuck! I'm! I'm gon-" Her words were cut off as Hades fingers tightened on the sides of her neck. Panic flashed in her for a moment, until she realized she could breathe, could speak, but only enough to make herself heard if she needed. Her eyes flew open, as her blood pounded in her cheeks. Hades' eyes were locked on her, keen, predatory, but not full of danger. "Yes." She gasped, resuming her circles, trying to match his commanding claim of her body. Her head spun, stars dancing across her vision, breaths broken, as the coil deep in her core reached tension she'd never felt before. She was there, just there. The coil snapped, and Hades' hand flew from her neck.

The world spun, sinking, exploding, reassembling itself as Persephone clung to her husband. Time and thoughts become meaningless, as she drowned in ecstasy. Every sense was owned, claimed, ruled, and filled with his being. Only one thought ruled above the others, as she soared in the stars, thrust higher, and higher. She needed him to come for her, in her, filling her. 

"Come for me, please! I need it fill me!" Persephone begged, even as Hades dropped back over her, lips wet, sloppy, and starving as his tongue dominated hers in her own mouth. She dug her nails into him, vaguely aware of his feral growls as his nails dug into her hips. "Please." She tried to rock up, to meet his pace, but she couldn't get her legs to unwind from his waist. "I want it, please, Daddy!" She pleaded into his parted lips. 

"Kore!" Hades roared, and she sobbed in relief when he shoved his arms under her, curling them under to squeeze her tightly, and buried himself inside of her with a wordless cry. She kissed his shoulder, gasping for air, shivering as he trembled above her. "Kore. Kore. Kore." His words sounded almost reverent in her ear, before they were drowned out by ringing. 

She whimpered when he slipped from her, his lips on her drenched brow, and she tried in vain to open her eyes. She felt boneless, devoid of any sensation but his touch and his release dripping from her. Swallowing, she lifted a hand to find his face, humming when he caught her fingers and kissed her palm.  
The world tipped, and she found herself on his chest, his heart pounding against her cheek. 

"You were so good, Sweetness, so good." She tried to reply, to find her voice, but she had no energy. "Was it too much." 

"No, 's wonderful, you...love" She hoped he could understand her, and he obviously did because his shaking hands were caressing her neck and her thigh. She melted into his embrace, blindly kissing his chest as she tried to calm her pounding heart. The world was so soft and calm, and it was nothing to let it slip away to blissful nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aorry it was all Persephone i just felt it was important to focus on her experience given her past


	31. Chapter 31

Hades smiled down at the petite ball of pink skin and pile of flower dotted hair that was his wife. She'd been out for over an hour now, long enough for him to feed the dogs, have a quick smoke, and make her a snack plate of the fresh cheeses and fruits he'd found in the fridge. She was still completely bare under the blanket, wrapped around his pillow, lips partially opened, with tiny, almost inaudible, snores coming out. Humming softly to himself, he scooped her phone from the floor when it dinged a text and plugged it in on her bedside table. 

Stifling a yawn, he stretched his back. He needed to sleep, but he also needed to wake his Sweetness up to help her into a nice bath and to make sure she felt the kisses on the bruises he'd left on her thighs and hips. He hadn't meant to, but she'd told him to give it all to her. "She's never blossomed like this." He cast his eyes around the room. There was at least four inches of petals coating the floor. His trails around were evident, but they were swiftly disappearing, as smaller, tinier, pomelia blossoms drifted down like snow. So he eased himself down to the edge of the bed and brushed the backside of his fingers over her hair. 

"Persephone." He started softly, not wanting to yank her out of whatever pleasant dream she was lost in. "Little Goddess, I need you to wake up." 

"Hmmmmm cake." She mumbled, burying her face in the pillow she was curled around. Hades chuckled, leaning down to kiss her neck softly. He eased the sheets down her bare skin to stroke her arm. "Aidoneus." Her lax face split into a small, happy smile, as she pressed her lips to the pillow. 

"That's not me, Sweetheart." Hades kissed her cheek now, running his fingers along her back, watching as she shivered. "Wake up. You need to eat." 

"Hades?" Those kunzite eyes fluttered open, unfocused, before closing again as she buried her face in the pillow. "Come cuddle. I'm sleepy." _Does she realize how adorable she is? I swear, One minute she's an avenging goddess and the next she's so pure I feel like she could power Elysium._

"I brought snacks." Hades jerked his head back as she lifted her head and blinked around the room. The snowfall of pomelias faded into nothing. "Did you know you make it snow flowers when you sleep?" He pointed up at the last of the blossoms floating lazily down

"Not since I hit puberty." Persephone blinked, then he watched as she rubbed her eyes and squinted at the blanket of flowers covering every flat surface of their room. "I made a mess." Hades leaned forward and placed a soft peck to her nose as she cheeks flushed magenta. "Mmmm I'm waking up." He grinned when her hands moved to his shoulders, pushing the dark house robes aside to stroke his skin. He accepted her kiss eagerly, keeping it soft and gentle, just tiny caresses of soft velvet over his lower lip. When they finally parted, it was so she could hide a yawn behind her hand. "What time is it?"

"Quarter to ten. You need to eat and drink and take a bath." He shook his head at the longing look she cast back down at her surrendered pillow. "Uh uh." He nodded to the plate of food and the bottle of water. "I'm going to go run you a bath. When I come back out, you better be eating." He stood up, only to be pulled back when she latched onto his robes. He looked back, finding her on her knees with an expression of absolute innocence. "Did you need something, Little Goddess?"

"What if I took my food with me to the bath?" Hades suppressed a snort of amusement at the soft way she tugged the edge of his robe, her eyes wide, although still obviously sleepy. "And what if I sat in your lap in the bath while I ate my food?" 

"You are a very clever girl, Kore." Hades took her fingers in his to free himself. "Any particular reason why you thought of this plan?" He supported her weight with his hands as his flawless Queen slipped to the floor to stand. She swayed, whimpering, and grabbed onto his arms as her knees buckled. "Sweetness!" Hades felt a flash of panic and pulled her into him, watching as Persephone stretched her legs with soft grunts of discomfort. "Persephone are you okay?" 

"My legs are really sore. So is my..." Hades breathed out a sigh of relief at her words. He scooped her into his arms, when she bit her lip and looked down as if embarrassed to admit it. 

"I thought they might be. It's why I suggested a bath instead of shower." He rested his cheek against her head as he made his way carefully through the drifts of petals, amused by the fuchsia river her hair was leaving behind them. "Would you like me to cut your hair while the bath fills?" He set her on the edge of the counter, watching her nod and yawn. He fetched some scissors from his desk in the bedroom, as well as her food and drink. He set the tray down beside the tub, before turning on the water. 

"I have something to tell you." Hades paused, a handful of her hair in his hand. Her voice was soft, almost ashamed. He gestured carefully with the scissors, before making the first cut at her neck. "You can't get mad." 

"I won't, Sweetness." Hades moved to the next section of hair, preening internally as cutting it revealed a bite mark that would be hard pressed to conceal. He'd never enjoyed leaving or receiving them in the past, but something about the way the nearly maroon mark looked against her skin, there to remind all the realms that she was his stirred a part of his ego he'd never noticed. "Go on." 

"I got suspended from Olympus University." Hades froze, the lock of hair he'd just cut turning to flowers in his palm. _It's because of me. Marrying me gave her my reputation. This isn't right._ "I lost control, when I heard my 'friends' spreading rumors about me. They said I was pregnant, sleazing my way into power, and that is why we got married." 

"Did you hurt anyone?" Haded already knew the answer. If she had, she wouldn't have gone out drinking. She would have called him home. Still he knew it was important to talk her through it. Stepping around her, he took the other half of her hair in hand to cut. 

"Just a vending machine, but...It caused a disturbance, so they suspended me until further notice." He finished the last cut, then set the scissors aside. "So... I withdrew from the program." 

"Y-y-y-you what?" Hades stuttered in shock, as Persephone looked up and bit her lip with an uncertain expression. "Sweetness, I thought finishing college was important to you. You can't let those idiots up there take that-"

"College is important to me. I just.... now I have other priorities." He could tell there was more to her confession, but she slipped to the floor and ducked around him. "You promised I could sit in your lap." 

"Persephone, don't go throwing everything away because you think I need you to step up as Queen." He followed after her, tossing his robe aside and shoving down his boxers as she turned off the water. Normally the sight of her bent over was enough to make him want to fuck her into the next century, but she was keeping something from him. 

For one fleeting, heart wrenching moment, her hand passed over her stomach and Hades' mind flew to a possibility that shouldn't be possible, and he wondered if that was the priority she mentioned. Then reminded himself that it was completely impossible. "I'm not. Are you going to get in or not?" He snorted at her impatient gesture, before stepping down onto the bench in the water, then down again so he could sit. Soon, she was slipping in beside him, picking up his arm from his lap to wriggle her butt onto his thighs. "Snacks please!" 

Hades pulled her plate closer, looping his arms around her hips as she curled one over his shoulder and picked up a handful of berries. "Now, Miss Bossy Butt, what are these priorities, if not Queenly duties? What could you possibly have in mind that is more important than you desire to finish school." He stroked her outer thigh, while nuzzling his nose along her ear. "And where do I fit in with this supposed help?"

"I want to open a University here." She shrugged, before popping a few berries in her mouth. 

"You want to open a University here? Like an institution of higher learning?" 

"Mmmmhmm"

Hades felt more than a bit stunned. He opened his mouth, mostly out of habit of their usual tête â têtes when she was being ridiculously adorable, which was pretty much always. He found, however, that he had no words. _Why the fuck didn't I ever think of that? There's the University of the Seven Seas and the University of Olympus? Why haven't I ever considered one for my realm?_ A little voice in his subconscious whispered the reason. _Because you honestly thought your Kingdom is as distasteful as you._ A strawberry was tapped against his lips, and he took it into his mouth, not really seeing anything but unfocused pink as he chewed. 

_Does she really think people would want to attend a school here? I mean, I get why they work here, because Underworld Corps. has the best pay scale, benefits package, and vacation allowances. That's what happens when half your manual labor force are shades doing drone work._ He swallowed hard, running his thumb along her skin. How could he tell her that there wouldn't exactly be a clambering for enrollment? Why had the Fates destined such a hopeful heart to be condemned in the eternal night of his exiled realm?

"Aidoneus..." Persephone's hesitant voice made him snap back to reality, as her fingers at the back of his neck drew circles in the fine hairs there. "Are you okay? Do you not like-"

"Sweetness, I think it's a brilliant idea. It's just, people don't really like coming down here." He tried to keep his opinion soft, so as not to crush her obvious excitement. The last thing he wanted to do was bring on more self doubt. 

"I thought about that. Like, what if the focus of the campus was technology and business. The focus of USS is marine biology and oceanography." There was no ignoring the conviction in her expression, even as she popped a cube of cheese in her mouth. He squeezed her thighs, to let her know he was waiting for her to continue. "I just don't know where to start. I need your help." 

"Tell you what, my Queen. I'll set up a meeting with Athena. She's the one who founded Olympus University, I know she'd be more than happy to help. Then, I'll get in touch with my top architectural team. Get with all of them and collaborate a budget." Hades picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth, as she stared at him in surprise. He realized she must have expected him to give some sort of push back. "Once that is all set, have your PA contact my PA to set up a proposition meeting." 

"I don't... Hades, I don't have a PA." She mumbled, before swallowing. 

Hades laughed softly, not quite believing how quickly she could forget he had granted her equal authority to him in their realm. "So hire one. I'll have to convert the conference room on the third floor as an office for you until we can fully remodel the executive floor to include your own office." 

"Really? You're supporting me on this?" The disbelief in her voice made his heart clench. "I expected you to go off on some rant about how everyone hates you and your kingdom, and the only reason they work here is because of the pay. I had a whole-" Hades placed his finger over her lips, thoroughly enjoying how she practically melted at his touch. 

"If you think this is going to work, then I support you. I mean, look what you've done to me, to my garden, to fucking Tartarus." He accepted her enthusiastically firm kiss with a laugh. _This woman could bankrupt my entire kingdom, and I'd smile about it. Fuck, Zeus and Poseidon are never going to let me hear the end of this._

"Speaking of working. Um.... is it okay if I stay on as shade coordinator until the project starts?" Hades picked up her, as of yet, untouched glass and passed it to her. "I am supposed to work tomorrow."

"If you want, but only on your already scheduled days." He knew she'd want to work, but he also wanted her to take time to get to know her life. She'd been sheltered for so long, and what little time she'd had free had been a nightmare. "That's three days a week."

"And the other four?" Persephone's breasts pushed against his chest as she reached past him to grab something. Hades wasn't about to miss an opportunity to grope her perfect body so he grabbed both of her asscheeks and squeezed her even closer. "Sixty percent!" She squealed, pushing a loofa that he didn't recognize in his face. "Answer my question."

"Whatever you want to do, but not as Shade Coordinator..." Hades sputtered as she slipped from his lap and picked up the bottle of body wash he'd left from two nights before. "You could take time to get to explore your kingdom." He flicked water at her, before smirking at the way she stuck her tongue out and begun running the soapy loofa over her neck and shoulders. "Pick up a hobby, whatever makes you happy, Little Goddess." 

"I don't really have hobbies outside of reading" Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she lifted up out of the water to make a show of washing her breasts. Hades couldn't have stopped himself from surging to full attention if he wanted to. "There wasn't much to do growing except weave or loom, and I'm garbage at those." Her soap trail slipped lower, and Hades clenched the edge of the pool to restrain himself. _Fuck, she's so fucking delicious. I can't believe she's all mine._

"Well, find one. It's important that you have interests to relieve stress." He shifted on his bench when her hand slipped beneath the water, continuing without missing a beat. "Don't even think about touching that delicious clit, Little Goddess. Finish bathing. I'm enjoying the show."

"If I do it after I finish my bath, I'll just be all sticky." Persephone's voice was simultaneously rebellious and inviting. Hades had to exercise all restraint when she settled onto the end of the bench and extended one of her supple legs to him. "They're too sore to hold up on my own... will you help me?" Hades cupped her ankle, pressing a kiss to each toe as she poured more soap onto the loofa to wash her leg. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Any time, Sweetness. Now, as I was saying, once you begin settling into your duties as Queen and building this University, you're going to need something to help you unwind-"

"Mmmmmm sex with you is a good-" 

"No, something else. I swim, go for drives, and occasionally take one my of stallions for a gallop in the mortal realm." He caught her other ankle, preening internally at how frustrated she was getting that her attempts at seduction were taking more effort than she probably assumed. "I also have unhealthy mechanisms that I would like to help you avoid, like smoking and being borderline alcoholic."

Her foot disappeared and Hades hummed as she came forward to kneel beside him. "I'll figure something out." Her fingers slid down his chest, and Hades stopped her with a sigh. 

"Sweetness, no. You're too sore for me to make love to you." Her mouth opened in protest, but Hades gave her his most stern look, and his spine tingled when she shut her lips in a pout. "And it's getting late. You've had a long day. You're going to get out and dry off." 

"But-"

"Little Goddess," Hades gripped her chin, watching in amusement as her pupils blew wide. "I said, _no_." She nodded softly, and he released her. He wanted nothing more than to bend her over the edge and make her come until her legs gave out. Yet, she was still tired. He could tell it in how compliant she was being. He eased her back before standing, doing his best to ignore how his cock was demanding her attentions.

"You're no fun." Came the retort behind him as he stepped out of the hot water. Hades retrieved a towel, tying it around his waist before picking one up for her. 

"If you come dry off and get back in bed, I'll make it worth your while when we wake up." Hades laughed out loud as Persephone levitated out of the water to land beside him. "That's what I thought." He wrapped the towel around her, delivering a playful swat to her rear when she failed to hide a yawn. "See, you get in bed. I'll take these down and be right back." He scooped up her plate and glass, carrying them down to the stairs. A quick peek into the living room found the pack sleeping soundly around various spaces. Cordon Bleu was curled in a puff on Cerberus' middle head. 

Rolling his shoulders, Hades made his way back up the stairs to their bedroom. Persephone was snuggled under the blankets, which she had managed to shake clear of petals and blossoms. Thankfully, his quick errand and managed his more obvious need. "Hurry. I'm cold." Hades hit the lights, before dropping his towel and crawling under the blankets. He was not surprised to find his wonderful wife naked. "Mmmm you're always so warm. Hold me."

"With pleasure." He pressed a kiss to her brow before curling her into his chest. "Sweet dreams, Little Queen." 

"I love you, Aidoneus." Came her muffled reply, lips chilled and soft on his chest. 

"I love you too, Kore." Burying his face in her hair, Hades closed his eyes and let her essence lull him to sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for delay:  
> I was hella busy this weekend  
> Also, sorry so short

Persephone swallowed hard as Hades opened her car door. She didn't know why she was nervous. This was work, after all. She knew quite a few people. However, there was just something different in being helped out of Hades' car, in Hades' reserved parking spot, in front of Hades' business empire. _Yours now too. You're Queen._ His large hand extended in, and she took it, stepping out. 

Her white heels clicked on the pavement, and she waited patiently, but definitely not calmly, for him to shut the door. Looking him over, she spotted his crown and quickly materialized her own diadem onto her long hair. In her reflection on the car's pristine glossy coat, the black gems and metal contrasted with her dress. She'd been contemplating a black skirt with pale blue blouse, until Hades had pulled the very first dress she'd worn to Underworld Corps from her side of the closet. "Please, just try it, for me?" He'd asked. "I love you in black and blues, but white... I miss you in white." There was the added benefit that it covered the still healing love bite on her neck.

She had caved in, on the condition that he wore a pink shirt, a pink pocket square, and the cuff links and tie clip she'd bought. He'd donned the requested items with a grin. "Sweetness, are you good?" His warm hands caressed her arms. "It's just work. You belong here."

"Um, yeah. I'm just... first day jitters." She looked up into his scarlet eyes, adjusting her purse strap to straighten his tie clip. "Plus, you know, I'm fucking the boss." Persephone flashed him a teasing smile, needing the distraction of him growling in his chest. Yes, one of her rules was no cursing in front of him, but she also knew it drove him wild when she did. 

"Five... Not even eight in the morning and already breaking rules." Hades leaned down, and she accepted his quick kiss with a giggle. "Also, you're the boss too. Remember?" His fingers squeezed her arms gently, before he pulled back to take her hand. "Head high, Queen Persephone." His smooth voice made it all to easy to step towards the building. The glass doors slid open, and she chuckled as Cerberus' shadow followed them into the building, growing until it covered the wall beyond the receptionists. 

"Have a good day at work for Mama." She crooned, when his right head snuffled her hair before he trotted over the crowd to the archway beyond. Unable to resist, she flicked a finger and crowned all three heads with pomelias. "He's such a good boy." She hummed, leaning into Hades' arm out of habit. For a brief flash, she almost pulled back, afraid to seem too casual at work, but Hades squeezed her fingers and kept her close to him. 

"We're married, remember. We're the king and queen, so don't be afraid to be affectionate with me at work." His lips were pulled up in a teasing grin, and Persephone nearly lifted from the floor as they filed into the elevator car. "I have some meetings with the residential counsel first thing, and then I have the annual safety audit results review at ten. We can do lunch."

"Sounds perfect." Persephone grinned at their reflection in the mirrored walls, wondering how they'd manage to end up alone on the lift. The red imp fluttered up to press the buttons for their floors, and She watched as Hades presented the woman with a small sapphire.  
"Wait!" Squinting quickly, Persephone blossomed a tiny white blossom onto her hair before the woman could sink down. "Thank you!" 

"No! Thank you your Majesties." The level dinged and Persephone sighed. 

"This is me." Taking his tie in hand, she tugged him gently down for a brief kiss. His lips were infinitely gentle, despite the way his fingers tightened on her briefly. "Have a good morning." 

"You too, Little Queen." The hallway was empty, and Persephone started towards the library. She hadn't made it far when a flash of red came out of a corridor. 

"Hermes!" She hurried forward, as his head whipped to his right. Persephone hadn't realized how much she'd missed him until his gaze landed on her. "Hi!" She prepared for her typical jump hug, but slowed when he didn't open his arms. _Oh no! Apollo was his best friend. What if-_ Her thoughts were cut off when he bowed low, ponytail flopping slightly." 

"Your Majesty." Those nearly clear eyes of his flicked up, and Persephone felt her cheeks flush. Flustered by her friend's behavior, she playfully swatted his arm. 

"Stop that. We're friends!" 

"I'm so glad to hear that!" In a blink, she was whipped up off of her feet into a spin. "Look at you! That crown is beautiful!" There was something in his eyes though, a hint of regret or loss she didn't quite understand. "I was hoping I'd see you." She held onto his arms as he set her back down. "I just wanted to tell you... well... I... I'm sorry I didn't realize what he was going to-" Persephone slapped her hand over Herme's trembling lips. 

"No... no... I don't want to talk about it. I just wanted to know you didn't hate me." She gripped his fingers, offering him the same hopeful smile she'd always worn when he was debating if risking her Mama's pitchfork was worth hanging around. "I just want you to know, I'm sorry about the Temple, about Mama bullying you, and-"

"Demeter didn't have to bully me to keep quite about the temple." He didn't seem surprised she remembered, and Persephone recalled how fast word spread on Olympus. "I never even spent the money. I just wanted to keep you safe." He squeezed her her fingers softly, almost the same way Hades' did when he wanted her to look at him, with his left hand. With his right, he rubbed the back of his neck and gave his nervous too wide smile

"But why. I mean we're friends, but risking Hades'-" 

"I've got to meet Thanatos in ten." She blinked as Hermes cut her off. "Married life suits you, cutie." He pressed a kiss to her knuckles before pulling away and bowing with a flourish. "See ya lady, Queenie." 

"Bye!" She called as he sprinted down the hall. She continued her trek to the library, trying to clear her head and get into a work mindset. When she finally reached her work station, tucked back in the corner of the library, she blinked in shock at the contents of her desk. There, in a small silver bowl was a bowl of fresh cut fruit in the shapes of flowers, butterflies, puppy paws, and tiny skulls. Beside it was a cup from the small cafe down the road, and written on the side was Q.P. There was also a little stack of creamers and sugars on top of a note. 

**Welcome back to work, Your Majesty! I look forward to meeting you officially.**

**Sincerely,  
Galina**

"I like her already." She giggled, popping her phone out to take a picture and send it to her husband.

Hades straightened his tie as he stepped off the elevator. Galina was already at her desk, her the longer side of platinum hair pulled back in tight braids along her scalp, and the buzzed side dusted with some sort of black shimmer. In her hand was a coffee with K.H. Lettered on the side. "Morning Galina." 

"Morning Boss." She handed him the coffee. "I also took the liberty of sending one breakfast tea and a bowl of fresh cut fruit down to Her Majesty." Hades found himself grinning. They'd both been so frantic getting ready for work, that Persephone had gotten maybe four bites of toast in. "I also pre-ordered lunch for you both, with hers vegetarian." 

"Thank you. You're already shaping up to be my best assistant yet." Hades too a short ship of his coffee before pulling a handwritten advertisement out of his pocket. "Persephone is going to need a PA of her own. Could you please scan this and email down to H.R. for them to post the opening." 

"Right away. I already have breakfast set up in the conference room for the meeting. Also, Hephaestus called this morning, he said he would like to speak with you. He would have called your mobile, but his had an unfortunate accident with a lava pool and his house phone only had this number." 

"Probably asking for the specifications for Persephone's throne. I'll call him back after the meeting." Hades checked the time on her computer, seeing he had a few minutes. "You went to University of Olympus right?" Galina nodded, eyes open and receptive of wherever he was leading. "If there had been a University down here, would you have attended." 

"Yes. Olympus University's tuition for other realm citizens is ridiculous, and Underworlders are usually looked over for scholarships." She held her hand up, as Hades blinked at her in shock. "Not that I'm downing your brother's kingdom. It's just, theres a stigma, and everyone knows it. For those of us already in service to a god or goddess, we can use that to pay for our education. For many, though.... well..."

"I am acutely aware of what many end up with." One of the very first gifts Hades had given Minthe was paying off her loans. "Do you think other realms' citizens would want to attend, if we had a school?"

"Definitely, because there are many who find the student body atmosphere at the other two realms biased and a constant battle in power games." She offered him a knowing grin. "Seems our new Queen has already been making plans."

"That she has." Hades paused three steps towards his office, turning to look at Galina. "Our queen? Is that just the stance of the entire kingdom?"

"The ones I've spoke with. I will say, the media is a bit salty they had no wedding or coronation to cover. I've been screening calls with 'We'll reach out when they are ready.'" Hades groaned inwardly, as he had completely forgotten the shit storm that the marriage would have spawned. "I would, honestly, recommend an actual P.R. Rep. I understand it isn't something you've had to deal with, but your brothers-"

"Both have them. Right... well." Hades blew out a breath and rubbed his eyes. "Pick the Underworld based network you think will be best to get viewers. I rarely watch the news myself. I didn't have any appointments from nine to eleven tomorrow did I?"

"Just a fitting for some new suits. Would you like me to cancel and set up an interview." Hades could have hugged her grinning self right then, but he nodded instead. "There's no throne for Persephone, so we should probably-"

"Our house. Set it for our house. One media network only. Restricted access, and give yourself an additional bonus for the month for doubling as a PR." He grinned as he took another sip. "You're a life saver. Set yourself and Calla a dinner any time this month, restaurant of your choice, on my tab." 

"If you insist!" Galina laughed as she dropped to her chair and popped her headset on. "Also, in the event I start getting calls from your mother-in-law..."

"Route them to me, no matter where I am." Hades headed into his office, groaning internally at the idea of what Demeter was going to do to him. _I mean, it's not like I stormed her estate and claimed her against her will. Although... I wonder if Persephone wouldn't be opposed to a little role playing one night._ He shoved the scenario aside, grabbing his laptop. He needed to focus on his meeting, but his phone dinged a text from Persephone and he found himself smiling at the contents: 

**image.link  
Little Goddess :-* : OMF, Galina is the best! Be careful. I may steal her **

**I doubt she or her wife would complain if you did ;-)**

He pocketed his phone, heading back out to the conference room where his meeting was already filing in. "Hey." He touched Hecate's shoulder, drawing her attention away from her tablet. "Tomorrow, nine am, Persephone and I will be doing a kingdom wide address to clear up any confusion on the last two weeks."

"It's about time. I've been dodging calls for days since Gal hasn't had news for them. Should I be there?" Hecate arched an eyebrow, as the last of the meeting attendees ducked past them. "Or?" 

"No need. Although, afterwards, I need you to have a sit down with us in regards to an idea Persephone has. You've always been my second in command, and just because she's Queen doesn't mean I'm getting rid of you." Hades chuckled when she rolled her eyes, but he didn't care. Hecate was the most trusted friend he'd ever known. "After you." He followed her in, bracing himself for a morning of droll statistics. 

Twenty minutes in to the usual drabble over increasing incentives for new residents. He pulled out his phone. An image had floated into his mind, and he couldn't keep it to himself.

**So my brothers both commissioned their wives thrones as wedding gifts. I would like to do the same for you. Yet, I know you prefer to make your own decisions.**

**Little Goddess :-* : I'd love you to do it. My rings and my crown are so perfect, I couldn't imagine my throne designed by anyone but you, Your Majesty. There's just one condition.**

**What's that then, Little Queen?**

**Little Goddess :-* : That it doesn't replace my current throne.**

Hades squinted at her text, confused. She didn't have a throne.

**What throne is that?**

**Little Goddess :-* : Your lap, duh! :-D**

**Don't you 'duh' me, Little Goddess, or you won't be able to sit on any throne for three days.**

Hades looked up from his phone, having heard something about increasing property taxes by thirty percent. "Absolutely not. We can't attract more residents if we are charging more than the outlying subdivisions of Olympus. Are you fucking stupid? Five percent, that puts us at two percent lower than Olympus." He leveled his gaze at the satyr who had recommended it. "The Queen and I are working on a project that should boost residency levels." 

"Yes, Your Majesty." 

Hades looked back down at the text thread, and he nearly imploded. In response to his threat, Persephone had snapped a selfie of her biting her lip, diadem slightly askew, at such an angle he could see down into the keyhole neckline of her dress. 

**Little Goddess :-* : Sorry Sir, I'll behave... for now.**

**You keep teasing me, Little Goddess, and I will come down there and take those five smacks from your ass in the middle of the library.**

**Little Goddess :-* : oh no!  
Little Goddess :-* : I better not distract you from your meeting any longer.**

**Good girl**

Hades pressed the phone into his thigh, waiting for more, but apparently she was catching onto the game. Lunch couldn't come fast enough.


	33. Chapter 33

"Athena or Artemis should have the patterns for her roses, if not, she grew an entire hedge wall of them in my gardens. Feel free to take some as models." Hades smiled as he tapped his pencil against the sheet of paper he'd been sketching on during the safety audit report. He'd already scanned it to send to his nephew. "I need them solid rose gold. Just take it from my ore bank." 

"And the decorations here at the end of the arms..."Hephaestus' scratchy voice was thoughtful from the other end of the line. "This is wood, right, oak?" 

"No, she's partial to evergreen pine or ebony. I think evergreen would work best, especially if you treat it with the preservative stain Hecate blessed for you." Hades tossed his pencil down, pleased with his design. Hephaestus seemed equally as satisfied with the sketches. "When will it be ready?" 

"I can have it done by this evening, if I delay the scythe forging to tomorrow. I'd already begun gathering materials after the Pantheon summit." Hades grinned at his reflection in the window. "I'm so happy for you uncle. I could see how much you love each other." 

"Thank you, and remember, you're welcome around any time." His phone dinged, and it was a notification from Persephone she was on her way up. "I'll let you get to work. The commission check for both items has already been deposited in your account."

"Goodbye." Hades headed towards the door, breathing in a sigh of relief when he saw Galina taking the boxes of food from a courier. "I'll take those. Persephone is on her way. Forward all my calls until further notice." He accepted the food boxes, retreating back into his office. He quickly set them down on the low table where he and Persephone had once played chess, and then he retrieved fresh water from the refrigerator hidden behind a portrait of Cerberus on one wall. "As much as I love my boy, I don't think he'd mind if I commissioned a painting of my Queen to hang there." When had he become so soft? 

Persephone stepped off the elevator, eager to see Hades. She waved at Calla who was murmuring into a headset at the other end of the massive foyer, and then she turned towards her husbands office. A breathtaking Lampad was seated at Minthe's old desk, with pin straight, platinum blonde hair that was nearly to her ribs on one side and buzzed short on the other. The buzzed side was covered in black shimmer, accentuating the designs that had been edged into her hair. The woman stood, showing her business suit tailored to her frame. While the pants and shoes were masculine, her soft blouse complimented her torso and matched her lipstick. "Galina, right." 

"Guilty as charged, my Queen." Galina bowed slightly, before smiling. "Hades just took lunch in." 

"Please, call me Persephone!" She touched her shoulder with one hand and presented a rose with the other. "Thank you for breakfast! You didn't have to do that." Staring up into her nearly clear eyes, a tribute of the Underworld nymphs which many found unsettling, Persephone saw nothing by honest kindness. "It made my morning, though." 

"I'm glad. You better hurry, though, or you won't have any food left."

Persephone slipped into the office, admiring her King. He hadn't noticed her yet, so she got a moment to watch him fuss over the placement of the food and water, then rearrange it, then fuss some more. "Aidoneus, it's lunch, not a state dinner." She laughed, making him jump. The way his face lit up made her giggle, and she launched herself across the room into his arms. 

"Oof!" He caught her with a laugh, and Persephone felt her entire being come alive at his hands on her dress. "Mmmm I missed you." His voice was so soft before his lips pressed into hers gently. "Hungry?" 

"Ravenous." She caught his lower lip with her teeth, earning a throaty growl. Persephone couldn't help it. Coming to him after hours apart burned fire in her belly she new could only be quenched one way. "But maybe we should eat first." 

"Saucy!" Hades eased her feet back to the floor and took her hand. Her plate was in front of the high backed chair, so she picked it up and carried it around to sit next to him. "Your throne will be ready this evening. I... I designed it. I really hope-"

"I'll love it." She promised, cutting into her meatless lasagna. It smelled amazing, and one bite had her moaning. Hades' fingers stroked her back twice before he picked up his own fork. "How'd the meetings go. I hope I didn't distract you too much." 

"You did, you tease!" Persephone giggled around her fork, recalling the selfie or five she may have sent. "You still owe five-"

"I know." 

Hades was doing his damnedest to focus on his meal, but his minx of a goddess was driving him mad. It wasn't her fault, he knew. Having looked into some things, fertility goddesses' and gods' sexual urges were hard to curb, given their inherent need to procreate. It was one of the reasons Poseidon had so many children. Hades was not complaining in the least about her needs. It just made it hard to focus. "As I was saying. Hephaestus also has another present for you, but I'm not allowed to say." 

He laughed when she paused mid chew and stared at him, wide eyed in excitement. "On another note. We're doing a press conference first thing in the morning. Apparently the media is a bit miffed that we robbed them of a wedding and coronation." Her snort of irritation made him smirk. 

"Why don't we do it this afternoon. I'd rather not start the day with cameras flashing in my face." Persephone stabbed a noodle, and shoved it in her mouth, her flirtatious demeanor suddenly waning. Hades almost instantly regretted his decision. "Hate cameras"

"Oh! Sweetness! I didn't even think. Hang on." Setting his food aside he rushed to the door, startling Calla who had been perched on Galina's desk with her own food. "Sorry to interrupt. Please reschedule the news conference for tonight, seven I think. Make sure they bring enough lights that flash photography isn't needed." He shut the door and returned to Persephone's side. "Now as soon as they leave, we can unwind together. That way you won't spend all day feeling jumpy." 

He didn't fail to notice how her food was mostly untouched, but before he could ask, she looked up at him, appearing suddenly all of her nineteen years and as devastated as the night he met her. "I defeated him, so why do things that make me think of him feel so sick snd broken? How can you love me knowing I'm broken? How can I be a good queen?" 

"You are not broken." Hades blew out a breath, then he patted his thigh. "On your throne, my Queen." Her face was tight as she moved to his lap, sitting sideways, ankles curled behind his calves while she pushed her lasagna around. "Eat, Little Goddess. Your stomach may feel upset and tight, but you're still hungry." 

Persephone shoved a bite of food into her mouth, leaning her head against his shoulder. She had been feeling so happy, and just one thought had put her back in that room, in that bed, and it hurt. "You're not broken, Kore Persephone, so let's get that out of the way first." She swallowed hard, scooping up another bite. "You were violated. Even though you fought him and won, he still hurt you. My father ate me, and I was part of the revolt that defeated him. I hold the keys to his prison. Yet, I still have nightmares. Seeing my scars still unnerves me some days." She swallowed again, feeling his words sink into her skin like a balm. "Sweetness, perhaps you should see a therapist. Before I met you, mine was the only one that kept me from falling apart some days." 

"Eros suggested the same." 

"I'll get you a list of the best in all three realms." 

Persephone lifted her head to press a kiss to his jaw. "Thanks. I can move, if you want to eat." She yipped when he leaned forward to pick up his plate and resting it quite close to hers on her lap. The hand holding it was curled around her waist. 

"Or I can enjoy holding my wife while I eat." She couldn't help but giggle. Hades never ceased to ease her fears, but the anxiety of so many cameras was still gnawing at her. She had fully intended to come up here and have her husband take her over his desk, but now she'd gotten the mood all screwed up. 

Her food was nearly gone, and Hades plate was empty when he spoken again, like he was praying. "I love saying that, _wife_ , fuck, Sweetness. You asked how I could love you? How could I not? I'm still in a complete state of shock that you love me." 

"How could I not love you? You're sweet and kind and funny and gentle unless you need to be mean. You're never cruel to be cruel." Persephone leaned over to put her plate beside his then turned to wrap her arms around his neck. "You've always deserved love. I'm just lucky it's me who gets to give it to you." Like a salve, his lips pressed into hers, and the flicker of painful discomfort in her core eased. She pressed closer to him, gripping his shoulders when his tongue teased hers. 

"I'm the lucky one." Hades murmured, his lips drifted to her jaw, and Persephone felt the flames burst to life again. "Mmmmm I smell honeysuckle." She giggled at his playful growl, letting her tongue trace his ear. "But... rules are rules. You were naughty this morning, and discipline comes before pleasure." Her cute twist hair style became unbearably tight before she felt her hair cascade loose with a _floomf_. Persephone felt her heart begin to pound at the gravel in his voice that matched the tightness forming in his pants. "Are you okay for that right now?"

"Yes, Sir." She pulled back, sliding from his lap, offering him her most innocent expression. "Where would you like me?" 

Hades groaned in anticipation at the way Persephone's cheeks were flushing. "Over my knee. Come here." He tugged her forward, catching her chest in his left hand as she sprawled over his lap. Her waist length hair was covering her perfect ass, so he pushed it to the side before fisting it softly. "Reach back and pull your dress up, Sweetness." He licked his lips when she did as she was told, revealing that she wore absolutely nothing besides her garter belt and her sweet looking thigh highs. "Ooooo how did I miss this? I swore you pulled out a pair this morning." 

"I did, but they got uncomfortable in the car. I'm sure you'll find them later." Her giggle was so wicked that Hades had to grab a handful of her delicious skin. "They're on your person, somewhere." She gripped his calf and thigh, and her feet kicked, sending her petite white heels bouncing away. "Do I count, or should I stay quiet?" The way she wriggled her hips told him she would make noise either way.

"Count. I don't give a flying fuck if anyone hears us." Hades drank in her soft skin, mapping the already memorized swell of each supple cheek with his fingers. When he reached a spot that made her gasp, he paused and flexed his hand. Then he raised it up, bringing it down slightly softer than he had the night before, but enough to make a solid thwack fill the air, his palm to hum, and for her to mewl out. 

"One!"

Quickly, he cupped her skin in a soothing massage before bringing his palm down again. 

"Two!"

"Fates, baby." Hades squeezed her once again, as flowers began to bloom in her hair. As he raised his hand again, he contemplated how there was never any doubt she enjoyed this, but he was never going to assume it without asking. He brought his palm down again, just a bit harder, and the smell of honeysuckle and spring water enchanted his senses. 

"Three." 

Hades rubbed the spot tenderly, but the husky moan had nearly driven him to his breaking point. He gave another smack, immediately kneading the flesh even as she cried out what was probably 'four' but sounded more like when he entered her the first time. "What was that?" He teased, squeezing her hot flesh firmly. 

"Four, Sir." 

Hades delivered the final blow, keeping his hand on her, but releasing her hair to slip his hand under her chest and push her up. "Five!" 

"C'mere." Hades too extra care to make sure the kiss he gave to her was gentle, even as he rubbed and massaged and kneaded the magenta palm print on her skin. He vehemently wished he'd brought lotion, but it couldn't be helped. Her lips and tongue were permeated with the flavor of her need, and it made his mind buzz. _Will kissing her ever stop feeling like sinking into a hot, mineral spring. I hope not_

"Will you take me on your desk?" Persephone panted, her entire body pleading for Hades to give her release. 

"No." His whisper was accompanied by his fingers dancing over the slightly throbbing burn on her rear, and Persephone nearly sobbed at his refusal. "But I'll make love to you on my desk. If I take you, well, you remember how sleepy and sore you were last night." He surged up, and she clung to him, tightly wrapping her legs around his waist. "Can't have you exhausted and sore at work"

She whimpered in anticipation when he set her on the edge of the desk, pausing to shove papers aside. "Aidoneus." She crooned, reaching down with one hand to fumble for his belt. He moved her hand with wordless growl, and she gripped the edge of the desk instead. The hard, polished wood was cold against her skin, bur it didn't quell the heat in her core. 

"Lie back, mind your head." She did as instructed, crying out softly when he trained his fingers between her folds, and the sound of his pants being pushed down was audible. "You're so wet. Fuck, sweetness, I've never seen anything like the way you get." 

"Only for you. Please, hurry." She barely had time to wait because Hades' hard cock was brushing against her. Then, with a slow, torturous, pace, she felt him slide into her. "Yes! Yes!" The sensation of being stretched, being filled, and watching his eyes burn into hers as his lips parted in a gasp was as delicious now as it had been the first time. 

" Kore." Hades dropped his palms beside her head on the desk, completely intoxicated by the way she clenched around him. "My Sweetness, my Goddess." He stole her lips when he pulled back to rock into her again. Her hands were on his face and bicep, and her moans of pleasure broke over his tongue. This was perfection, a paradise he'd never allowed himself to dream. 

Over and over he lost himself in her body, keeping it paced, bordering on a fragile line of rough and tender. He could feel how she was still sensitive and tight from his relentless claiming of her body the night before, when each thrust made her tighten. "My King, my Aidoneous, please, I need... so close." Her wet heat was already beginning to flutter, indicating an approaching orgasm. 

"Touch yourself. Go on, come for me." Hades encouraged his sweet goddess, biting her lip softly before flicking his tongue across it to slip between them and dance with hers. Her hand was between them, and Hades groaned aloud are the immediate affect on her body. Persephone began rocking up into him, her nails biting through his coat, as she grew infinitely tighter. "Come for me!" 

"I...I..." her lips stayed open, parted, breaking her breath over his, and Hades felt her nearing the edge. He shift his stance, angling up, and with a cry she exploded around him. Petals burst into existence like fireworks, blossoms covered her hair, and under her dress he felt the foliage of her blossoming bloom. "Gimme... come for me now... please!"

"Kiss me." He sighed, picking up a more determined pace. The aftershocks of her climax spurred him on, and her breathy murmurs were going to be his undoing. Grunting, Hades cupped the back of her head, drowning in the taste of her lips and the way she moved. "Persephone.... I'm so close." He could feel the muscles low in his body tighten. 

"In my mouth. Want it in my mouth. Please." Hades nearly lost himself at her words. He was already so close, the coil of tension low inside of him almost breaking, as every muscle deep in his core clenched.

"Knees! On your knees!" He stumbled back getting three strokes in before his Queen was on her knees before him, knocking his hand away, and taking him in her lips. He grunted as she gave a greedy suck, one hand cupping his balls while the other stroked what wasn't half buried in her throat. Her eyes met his, wide, pleading, and so stunning. Then he howled out as the tension snapped, and he began emptying himself into her persistent lips. 

Persephone hummed at the flavor of Hades' release. It was the first time he'd let her finish him this way. It was cooler than she'd expected, and salty, but there was an underlying sweetness she hadn't expected. The way he had to brace himself on the desk as she swallowed the last of his completion made her want to laugh in delight. She released him with a wet pop, licking her lips while she pulled herself upright by his hips. "Did I do good, Daddy?" 

"You did beyond well, Little Goddess." Persephone mewled when he lifted her back up to set her on the desk. "You really like using your mouth on me?" She let him tilt her chin up, seeing that uncertain look she knew his exes had put there.

"Love it. You taste so good." The smile on his face was So loving she felt like it physically touched her heart. "I love making you feel good. I love how you feel and taste in my mouth." His lips were on hers again, but not even three seconds in, his phone rang Zeus' ringtone. "Fu-.... I mean, sugar snaps." Persephone sighed, pulling back to see Hades' eyes dance in amusement. 

"You've only got five minutes left to make it back to the library anyways." Hades teased, and she jumped off the desk to tug her dress down. "Sorry it was so fast... you were just-" 

"Mmmm I don't care how long or short it goes, Aidoneus. We both enjoyed ourselves." She stepped into her discarded heels, looking back to see him pick up his phone. "If we clock out early, we can have round two before the press." 

"Deal!" Not wanting to be late, Persephone stepped out into the foyer. Galina looked up, a knowing smile on her face, and Persephone blushed. That was, until, she saw Galina and Calla both pull headphones out of their ears. "Thanks!" She rushed to the elevator, riding high on her lovemaking bliss. 

"Hades." Hades answered the phone, patting himself down for a lighter. 

"Hey, Hebe's got a dance recital tomorrow night. Hera told me to remind you that you promised her you'd come." 

"We'll be there. Thanks for the reminder. Things have been hect....tic." Hades paused as he plunged his hand into his inner pocket, pulling out not only his lighter, but a pair of white, lace, cheeky underwear. 

"Are you....Brother is your wife naked in your office? Did you answer the phone while your wife-"

Hades ended the call without letting hum finish. "Mmmm, sneaky little minx."


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *i forgot to add the pics of her  
> Outfit!!!!!!! See notes @end

"Stop! Just... Babycakes, stop." Persephone froze mid toss of another outfit, as Eros took her waist gently and guided her to the chair in front of the vanity Aphrodite had sent down as a wedding gift. "Sit, Psyche, love, start on her makeup. We've got less than an hour." Persephone blew out her breath as Psyche picked up an eyeshadow brush with one hand and patted her head with the other. "So, business Queen, Innocent Queen, or Femme Fatale Queen?"

"What does that even mean?" Persephone was doing her best to not have a massive panic attack at the thought that the news screw was downstairs turning her living room into a damn interview set. The thought of being in front of the cameras had nearly made her break down. She'd suddenly hated everything about her body, her face, and her hair. So, she'd called in Eros and Pscyhe for help. She closed her eyes as Psyche began spreading primer on her lids.

"Dread Queen maybe. Something that says I'm classy, but if you fuck with me, I'll rip your soul from your body." Psyche offered, and Persephone whined. She wanted to open her eyes, but Psyche was dusting them with shadow. 

"This?" 

"No... that'e too... too... sweet."

Persephone blew out a breath, as Psyche started on her other eye. "Wait... that one, with the sleeves. Oh! Oh! That's perfect!"

"Oh, Babycakes, you're about to make Hades lose his mind." Eros was practically crowing, and Persephone tried to look. "Where's your jewelry.... found it! Holy Gaia... I guess when your husband can manifest gemstones..." 

"I envy your skin. Even Aphrodite doesn't have-"

"Do you want Ma to curse you.... hush!" 

Persephone bit her lip as Psyche dusted something just below her cheekbones. "I forget sometimes. There, now... I think. Do you have any black gloss?" The brush disappeared, returning to brush something on the sharpest parts of her cheek.

"Um, yeah. I think." Persephone fluttered her eyes open, attempting to look over at Eros who was holding bracelets up with one hand, and shoes with the other. She couldn't see past him though. "Oh!" She flinched when Psyche brandished a mascara wand. "I'll just." Plucking it from her hand, Persephone turned to her mirror, and she gasped at the transformation of her face. Quickly, she applied the mascara, and stared in shock at how elegant she looked. 

She was so used to being cute or adorable or sweet, that seeing her sharper features contoured and highlighted made her stutter. "I'm... I'm..."

"Good, because shoes are ready!" Persephone stood, holding her dressing robe tight, though it did nothing more than cover her butt and boobs. "Honey, we need to get your ears pierced. You have like eighteen full sets of jewlery but no way to wear the earrings." 

"Oh! Oh! I forgot! I can do that!" Persephone jumped in excitement. "Tomorrow! I can go tomorrow!" For some reason the thought made her giddy, and she felt little flowers blossom in her hair. 

"Close your eyes and let Psyche help you into this. I don't want you to look til we're done." She could hear Eros move behind the door as she closed her eyes, and, with Psyche's help, she slipped into the dress. Persephone had no clue what it was, because Hera had insisted on dresses she never even saw, and Hades had already admitted her ever growing more formal wardrobe may also have one or two things of his liking. 

Persephone didn't mind. The formal side was so new to her, that buying the items had seemed daunting. She'd felt much more confident in picking work clothes and every day attire. She felt lace sliding up her arms, and the cool metal of a zipper along her spine. Then, she gasped a bit, as thick straps moved across her lifted breasts, and Psyche fastened some sort of collar around her neck. 

"No peeking. Sit." Persephone eased herself back to her chair, then drew in a sharp breath when Eros' strong hands began messing with her hair. "Point your toes." Psyche instructed, and she did. She could feel her feet slide into high, strappy heels. Yet, there was a cool weight of the straps that was unfamiliar. "No, no braids. Hmmm maybe just pull those pieces back from her face and pin them so they, yes!" Persephone wriggled, eager to see what they were doing. "Okay, your Majesty. Let's add the crown." 

"You got it." Persephone concentrated, summoning her diadem to her head. There was dual applause and she felt her cheeks flush. "Stop, I can't be that pretty." She let them tug her to her feet, eyes closed still, until Eros leaned down and whispered. 

"Go ahead and prove yourself wrong, Babycakes." Persephone opened her eyes and found herself staring at stranger in the mirror. Except, the stranger was her. She wasn't short and adorable and sweet, like people often saw her. No, the woman in the mirror was the personification of the power she felt deep in her core. _Why would anyone want to keep me from this? How can Mama see this and not love me more._ A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in!" Eros called.

"Sorry to interrupt." Galina's face came around the door as Persephone turned. "King Hades needs Queen Persephone downstairs for her mic-up and sound check." 

"We'll clean up and be right down!" Eros kissed her cheek, and Persephone hurried forward to her husband's assistant. 

"Um, I left some dinner for you, since you're here instead of home." She offered the tall nymph, as the door shut behind her. 

"I know, I already ate it. You didn't have to." She paused and pressed a finger to her ear. "Yes, we're on our way down. Yes, Cerberus has to be in the frame. Because her Majesty wants him there. Shut up and do as your told." Her eyes flashed as orange as torchlight, and Persephone giggled. "Men... I swear." 

"So, um, how do I look?" She smoothed her skirt, stepping back to give her a better look. "I mean, as a native Underworlder, what does my look say?" 

"Hades told me I needed to always be blunt and honest with you both." Persephone nodded, feeling her anxiety rise in her throat. The strict, but friendly, no-nonsense demeanor wavered. "Persephone, you look like a five course meal. How Hades is going to get through this interview without a pillow on his lap is beyond me." 

Persephone snorted into her hand, as Galina ushered her forward. "As for what your look says, well, it says 'I'm Queen' but there's also this 'Touch my Man and I'll rip your ovaries out' vibe. I'm sure Eros intended that. I'm here for it." Persephone giggled as she the woman flashed her a wink and helped her down the stairs. 

Hades turned when nearly every man in the room and a few of the women grew silent. The clack of heels on the floor filled the air, and Persephone stepped into the lights. _Fates save me. I'm going to explode before this even begins._

Persephone was encased in a tight black dress. It clung to her curves, accentuating them in all the best ways. The bodice pushed her breasts up, creating perfect mounds of the most enticing skin. Three straps connected the bodice to a choker, creating the most perfect exhibit of her chest and collarbones. The sleeves were lace, adding an elegance to the commanding seduction of the dress. The skirt portion ended half way up her thighs, and her barelegs swooped down into black, heels that were made of rhinestone or crystal adorned straps. 

They rose up well past her ankle, and complimented the tennis bracelet on her right wrist. Her hair was down, almost to her perfect hips, with the locks that normally framed her face pulled back into two looping curls. This showed off her flawless makeup, no doubt Eros' or Psyche's doing. It erased some of her softness, giving her a more regal look, not that she needed it, with smoky eyes and a black shimmer that made her already pouty lips seem impossibly fuller. "Fuck me." He groaned, shoving a cameraman aside to move towards her. Her diadem shone in the lights, giving her hair an aura of shadow.

"Hi...h-h-how do I-"

"Like I want to tell everyone to get the fuck out so I can worship at your feet." Hades pulled her to him, cupping her face. "This dress is... and those shoes... are you trying to give this old man a heart condition?" 

"Mmm you're not old. We're ageless remember." He rolled his eyes as she dodged his kiss. "If I smear this gloss, Eros will kill us both." She giggled, and Hades pulled her back to smack her butt lightly. "Fifty percent!" She squealed, and he laughed in response. "I need to do a mic check. What's that?"

"Here. Hold still." Hades waved over one of the sound crew, as the man was holding Persephone's mic. "This is the mic, it's going to clip here." He took the device from the man and pointed to her dress, right below the strap that accented her cleavage. "Then the wire comes through here, up under your sleeve at your shoulder, to the back." He took his time, trailing a finger along her skin as he spoke, preening over how her pupils blew wide and the faintest hint of honeysuckle filled the air. "Now, he's going to out this all together, is that alright?"

"Mmmhmm." Hades waited patiently for the sound guy to hook the power back to the back of her dress and run the wire over her shoulder, under the edge of her sleeve. When the man reached her cleavage, he kept a keen eye on her face. Thankfully, she seemed to be so distracted by the chaos of their usually quiet living room.

"Your Majesties, just talk normal so I can adjust your volumes."

Hades took Persephone's hand, watching as Cerberus bugged everyone for treats, leaving the majority of stay terrified. "I've never allowed press on the property, much less in the house." He admitted, peeking behind her to admire the backside of the dress. "But it's worth it if you're comfortable."

"I am. Thank you." Persephone looked back up at him. "I was having a minor-" 

"Shhhh there's a little thing called a hot mic honey. It's where people leave your mic on to record unagreed upon topics." Hades nodded to the sound people, who looked over at them. "Not that I'm saying anyone would be stupid to try to hot mic me or my Dread Queen." The name pleased him to no end. As much as he loved her sweetness, her innocence, and her continued optimism of life, he also adored the side of her that was necessary for her station. Her taste for vengeance, for punishing those who did wrong, for having no sense of reluctance in meting punishment, even if people will be hurt or offended, drove him wild. 

It was a balance he never contemplated experiencing. Where, even as a child, the world had made him stressed and frantic and pessimistic, Persephone had breathed hope and wonder and innocence. Where he was weak and often felt guilt and could be swayed by tears or emotions in his judgements and punishments, Persephone sought fairness to the extreme. Where she was violated, forcibly repressed, and inexperienced her sexuality, he gave her freedom to explore, to reclaim her sense of self, within limits that kept her from pushing too far but that she could erase with a single command. Where he was broken, jaded, and scarred from centuries of use and abuse by partners, she was unendingly affectionate, continuously welcoming, and always so soft for him. 

"Aidoneous, love, your shifting." Her fingers squeezing his drew him back to himself. Hades saw the almost midnight blue with starlike flecks growing under his skin. "Not that your primal side isn't something I thoroughly enjoy, but other people still get freaked out when we gods do that." The smell of honeysuckle again breezed in the air, as Hades tried to force himself under control. _I need to get word to my mortal high priests. It's beyond time for this woman to be worshipped._

"Your Majesties, if you can take you seat, so we can get the picture adjusted." Hades nodded, leading Persephone over to the sofa, making sure to out her closest to the interviewer and himself as a barrier between her and the two people with flash capable cameras. Cerberus came loping over, dropping beside her, his head in Persephone's lap. 

"Oh, who's mama's good boy? Huh? Is it you? Yes. Yes it is!" Hades snorted at the looks of utter disbelief as he adjusted his coat and joined her. Cerberus was seated beside her, knowing full well he wasn't allowed on the furniture when it wasn't cuddle time. The Underworld's most notorious guardian was exactly what he knew Persephone needed. Sure enough, her hand was on his head, rubbing his ears, and what remained of her tense posture disappeared. 

"Your Majesties, I'm Zoe, with Underworld Nightly News. I'll be conducting the interview this evening." Hades gestured to the highback chair usually occupied by the two smaller pups. He was familiar with Zoe, as she often covered any Pomegranate press releases. 

"Yes, Zoe. I'd like to formally introduce Persephone, Goddess of Spring, Queen of the Underworld, Tamer of Cerberus." Hades watched as Persephone lit up and extended her hand. "So, some ground rules. No questions about our sex life or whether we are trying for children. Sweetness, any to add?" 

Persephone thought for a moment, trying to decide how much she wanted to show the public. It wasn't like the reasons behind the marriage were a secret. Eros and Psyche were right, it was time to decide how she wanted the public to view her, and she knew exactly what the image she wanted was. "No. I'm an open book. I think the public needs to understand that while I am many things, afraid of their judgment isn't one." 

"Gods I love you." She felt her grin bloom as Hades kissed her softly. 

"T-minus thirty seconds to live." 

She felt Hades take her right hand in his left on his knee, and she shook her hair back as Zoe held onto her interview cards and turned to face the cameras. Persephone drew a breath, glancing down at Cerberus' whine and bump of her hand. Clinging to Hades and petting her good boy, she followed her husband's lead and looked at Zoe. 

"Thank you Axion. Good evening everybody, I'm Zoe Adrianakis, and this is Underworld Nightly news." Persephone swallowed hard, doing her best to keep her breathing even when she spotted Eros and Psyche flashing a thumbs up from beyond the cameras. "I'm coming to you live from the Royal Mansion, where I have been invited to bring you all the inside look on King Hades and his new Queen, Persephone, Goddess of Spring." 

Persephone looked back slightly when, as if some cue had been given, Hades leaned back and draped an arm over the top of the sofa. A gentle tug of his fingers on hers had her relaxing back into his side. "Well, gods, I have to admit that this in an honor, Your Majesties. Thank you for allowing us into your home." 

"You're welcome." Persephone smiled, finding herself relaxing more and more as Hades rubbed her arm with his thumb. "We both agreed it was time to see the truth behind the doors." Hades' voice was so confident and smooth as he told the excuse as rehearsed. "Despite rumors, our home is not a torture chamber where we keep and torture those who displease us." Somehow, Persephone knew an internet conspiracy board was imploding. 

"Unless you count being subjected to dog hair and drool as torture." Persephone interjected, looking down as Cerberus' ears perked up at the word torture. "Well, I guess in my Baby boy's case, it is plausible."

"So it's true, My Queen, that you bonded with the Guardian before you married Hades. There were reports he had come to see you on Olympus, but nobody took pictures." Zoe gave her a look that said she knew exactly why nobody took pictures. 

"Yes, although he did try to eat me the first time we met." Persephone chuckled, remembering how Cerberus had reacted and how Hades had stepped in and stolen her heart. 

"Which brings us to one of the questions everyone has been begging for an answer to. How, exactly did you two meet?" Persephone looked up at Hades, unsure of how much he wanted to reveal of that night. "No offense to our Queen, but you just walked out of his house one morning a month ago. Then you ended up became the center of three different major media frenzies."

"We met at the Panathenaea." She offered, flicking her gaze back to Zoe. It was easy to pretend no cameras were there when her attention was on her, Hades, or Cerberus. "I had a bit too much to drink." Hades gave a chuckle and squeezed her arm before leaning cutting in.

"I saw Persephone across the room and said 'I think she puts Aphrodite to shame.'" Persephone swore she could feel the collective suck of breath not just around the room, but in rooms around the kingdom and some parts of the three realms. "Aphrodite overheard and, using one of her many ways, got Persephone nearly black out drunk and hid her in my car as some sort of prank. When I left the party and returned home, this beautiful goddess was in my back seat. So, I tucked her into a guest bed."

"The next morning, I tried to leave without being seen, but Cerberus found me. There was a commotion, and the next thing I knew Hades was making me coffee, offering me a coat to stay warm, and he took me home." Persephone paused, as the fate of the coat soared back into her memory. Irritation boiled inside of her. "Speaking of, Hestia, I want my coat back." 

"So the speculation that your relationship began that night-"

"Trash gossip. I was completely out of it. Hades would never, ever, take advantage of that." She didn't intend to snap, but her voice came out sharp. She could feel vines bloom in her hair, as Cerberus' fur bristled under her fingers. 

"We didn't mean to imply that he did." Zoe shuffled her cards, pressing back a bit into her hair. Hades dropped a kiss to her hair, and Persephone shook herself into calm. "King Hades, up until a few days before you rescued Persephone from Apollo, you were in a very public, and, well, not always so cheerful relationship with your former Personal Assistant, Minthe." Persephone felt her anger broil again, as Hades stiffened beside her. "She was reported missing by her best friends Thetis and Thanatos four days ago. Have you been made-"

"Minthe isn't missing." Hades nearly choked on his tongue when Persephone's eyes glowed red and she turned away from Zoe to stare at the camera. "The day Olympus noticed I was missing, Minthe turned up here, in this house, uninvited. She had no clue I was here, after all, I was 'missing'." He reached out to still her hand, wondering if she knew what she was doing. _If she reveals this, everyone will fear her. She said she wanted to distance herself from wrath._ She didn't stop. 

"I was already mad at her for having the audacity to treat Hades so horribly, but then, oh, then she hit my babies." His wife was practically vibrating with rage, as her hair began to lift from her shoulders. "I did what was necessary. I turned her into a plant." 

"You turned her into-"

"Yes, and if anyone has issue with that, I'll be more than happy to discuss it with them." She leaned forward, pulling her hand from his to adjust her perfect crown. "I don't take kindly to threats or attacks against people that I love. I mean any kind of threat-"

"Kore." Hades squeezed her knee, whispering softly as Cerberus rose to his feet, his neck widening, two shimmers forming on wither side. "They get the point." He knew exactly what group she was addressing, and he knew why. There was no reason for her to be wary, but he had to admit the way she was staking her claim over him was insanely arousing. "What other questions do you have for us?" He was used to directing the angle of interviews or appearances back on track. 

"Well, Her Majesty's response answers the next question. People have been speculating that this marriage is simply one of convenience, a power move, and that once Demeter returns tomorrow, Persephone will probably be seeking an annulment." Persephone's loud laugh made Hades chuckle. "From what I've seen, as well a statement from Queen Hera, this is not the case." 

"Not at all. This is for eternity. I love her, and she loves me. I'm not ashamed to admit that." He took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles softly. "Nothing is ever going to keep us apart." 

"Exactly." He felt his face break into a grin as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. 

"That is visible to anyone with eyes and common sense." Zoe chuckled, gesturing to the cameras. "I've been instructed that the other questions are off limits, so do you two have anything to add?" 

"Just that my Queen is bring fresh insights on the state of our kingdom, and I look forward to her proposing changes that not only help us grow as a realm, but can benefit all citizens." Hades knew it was far too soon to talk about the university, but it was always important to end on a hopeful note. That was a mistake that Zeus often made. "And a reminder, that her word carries the same authority as mine." 

"As soon as everything is updated at Tower One, I'll be implementing the same policy as The King. On the Third Thursday of the month, I will be available to hear your problems. I encourage anyone, and I mean anyone, to come forward." This surprised Hades, as she had not discussed it with him at all. He wasn't complaining though, because it was her first, true act as Queen. "Especially those of you like me. I will work to bring your resolution and justice." She stared directly into the camera, before leaning back against him, her words vibrating in the air.

"There you have it folks." Zoe turned back to the camera, smiling broadly. "Our King has finally found his Queen, and this is shaping up to be a power couple in love unlike any the three realms has ever seen. See you at Eleven." The lights dimmed, and the camera men were stepping away. 

"That's it?" Persephone breathed, fanning her face while Eros and Psyche hustled their way forward. "How'd I do?"

"Fantastic, Sweetness." She sighed in relief as Hades cupped her face and kissed her softly. The sensation was like a drug, making her sink in and exist solely on the flavor of his lips. "Although, next time you feel like threatening any woman who may possibly in the future consider flirting with me, I may just bend you over the nearest flat surface and fuck you into next millennia." 

"Hot mic!" Eros yelled in sync with the sound crew, but Persephone didn't care. 

"Promises, fucking Promises, your Majesty." The fire in his eyes at her words made Persephone's heart flutter in anticipation. Tonight was going to involve very little sleeping, and she was just glad Eros and Hera had already agreed to a spa day. There was no way she'd be able to work all day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The Dress](https://m.dhgate.com/product/sexy-night-club-party-women-dress-fashion/445305095.html)
> 
> [The Shoes](https://www.fsjshoes.com/black-rhinestone-stiletto-heels-open-toe-strappy-sandals-evening-shoes.html)


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chap! I'm busy today, but I didn't want to leave ya'll hanging. Also, a couple people had asked on Tumblr about whether or not something was happening. I hope this answers that
> 
> Enjoy this brief interlude of nightmares and fluff

_The forest was so bright, as if Helios was merely feet away. Aidoneus had to run. He had to. Mother had said to hide, but there were no trees. The forest was disappearing. He ducked from boulder to hill, trying so hard to make it to the lake or even the dark, dark, dark cave where Auntie Nyx slept until the moonless nights._

_The ground thundered, as Father's voice rang out. "Where is he Rhea?! Give him to me! He is mine!"_

_"No! Please, my Love, don't-Ah!" The crack of the impact shook the heavens, and Aidoneus looked back to see Mother holding her cheek as a stone lay cracked beneath her head. "Run! Run Aidoneous!" Her purplishgold blood dripped down her lip and brow._

_"Mother!" Aidoneus stopped running. He turned around, tiny feet carrying him into the path of his Father's celestial hands. "Mother!"_

_"Run! Run Aidoneus." Mother was shrinking now, so small, her radiant diadem changing, shifting, until she took the form of a young woman in the whites of chitons. Her hair pooled around her, and a crown of the whitest roses formed the base of an onyx crown. "Run!"_

_"Oh! Ho! A female god? A goddess, I think would be the term, yes? How delicious." Father's large hand reached towards her, lifting her up, up. Her blood was solid gold now, and Aidoneus screamed in protective fury. The girl had to be protected._

_"Let her go! Bring Mother back!" He beat on Father's feet, howling in angry tears. Then, Father laughed, his fingers pulling away the goddess' robes. She was shaking, sobbing, and kicking, but what could he do._

_"She'll be delicious." Father's jaws opened, and Aidoneous could smell the blood, the heavy ichor dripping from her busted lip and brow. Wider, wider, and as she screamed._

_"Father no! Please!" He flew, reaching desperately for her. "Kore!"_

_"Aidoneus , wake up." She reached back for him, but all he could see and smell was the ichor. Nothing else existed. "Aidoneus... HADES!"_

"Kore!" Hades cried out as he jerked awake. Tears were soaking his cheeks as he panted for air. His father had taken her, eaten. "No!" Suddenly, he was being wrapped up in a hug and lips peppered over his face. The smell of ichor was still heavy, but so were flowers and fresh grass, and Persephone's skin.

"Kore. You're alive... you're alive." He pulled her into his chest with his left hand and flailed for the lamp with his right. She was wriggling away, but he clung to her, blinking in the lights. Beyond her, her alarm clock said three in the morning. "Why do I smell blood? Did I hit you?" Quickly, he cupped her face. _oh gods, what if I did?_

"No...no... mmm I just need to change the sheets. Could you... could you maybe go get me some water and something for pain?" Hades realized she was keeping the sheet tight over her waist and legs, and she was keeping from being pulled into his lap. 

"Sweetness, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing. Nothing. You're the one screaming about your father killing me. Are you okay?" Hades felt his heart rate slow as the dream faded. He hadn't had a nightmare since she had begun sleeping in his bed, so the severity of it had him uneasy. _He's never escaping again. Never_ "Aidoneus?"

"I'm fine. I have nightmares about him a lot. Why do I smell blood?" Persephone's cheeks were so dark, almost the color of pomegranate skin, he thought she was going to implode. "Sweetness, what's wrong?" He tugged the sheet lightly, until she surrendered it, and in the dim light he saw the gold shimmer on her side sheets and the stain on her thighs. "Oh...oh!"

"I'll clean-" Her voice was strained, the sound of embarrassed tears she'd gotten a few times before, so he cut her off with a kiss.

"Little Goddess, go get a shower. I've got this." She opened her mouth, a protest just there, but he took her chin in his fingers. "Daddy's got this, Sweetness." The complaint in her eyes dissipated as she nodded. "You go take a hot shower. I'll change the sheets and get you some pain relievers. Do you want a heating pad too?" 

"No...no... are you-"

"Go, now." He kissed her brow softly before shooing her up. He watched as she nearly tripped Over Little John and then wiggled her fingers at Cerberus, before her bare body disappeared from view. Crawling out of bed himself, Hades stripped the sheets off heading to the laundry room to get fresh ones. On his way back, he paused in his office to mark the date on his planner, with a note to remind him the next month to make no plans but delivery and movies.

He had just put the last pillow back when Persephone emerged, looking just as sleepy, but now wearing a pair of plain, pale blue underwear. "Hi, Sweetness." He flipped her sheets back, picking up her water bottle and the two small pills. "Come lay down." 

Persephone shuffled to the bed. Now that the initial panic of him screaming her name and realizing she'd started her cycle had calmed, she found she was still sore and exhausted. "I'm sorry." She still felt embarrassed that she had lost track of it, but Hades' didn't seem at all phased. 

Mama and the nymphs had all insisted that men were disgusted by it, but Hades didn't seem to be. He had changed the sheets and brought her something for her cramps, and he had even put on boxers so the balance of nudity would be even. "Persephone, it's Perfectly natural. There's no reason to apologize." 

"You're not disgusted?" She crawled under the sheets, after swallowing the pill, watching as he went around the bed to kill the lights. Her entire heart melted when he slid in beside her, curling her back against his chest, and began rubbing her abdomen softly. 

"Of course not. Hmmmm this feel good?" 

"Mmmhmm. Thanks." She kissed the arm under her face softly, marveling at how gentle he was being. "Wanna talk about the nightmare?" 

"Maybe tomorrow. Right now, is it okay if I just hold you?" She sighed at his lips on her hair, his words so soft in the dark. "You go back to sleep." Persephone sighed, wriggling back closer to her husband, hoping her presence could soothe him. 

"Yeah. But, only if you promise to tell me tomorrow." She closed her eyes, letting his touch and the medicine chase away the encroaching cramps. "Please?"

"Of course." His lips brushed her hair again, and she felt herself being sucked back into sleep. His arms and warm body were like an anchor, and she knew nothing until he kissed her awake at seven, to let her know he was jogging to work and breakfast was in the oven.


	36. Chapter 36

"I'm done?" Persephone touched her slightly sore ears, before blinking at her reflection. Eros had not been satisfied with just her lobes, talking her into both of her outer conch's being pierced as well. The piercings had hurt, but not as painfully as Mama had made them out. 

"Almost. Swallow this and hold still." Persephone accepted the gold pill when he dropped it on her tongue and chased it with the cup of Hebe's brand of nectar. Then, she sprayed something on her ear. Almost instantly, the soreness was gone. "You think I was going to make my Babycakes suffer through healing?" 

"Here." Hera moved away from the vanity, where she'd been applying her lipstick while Eros worked. "Good job, Eros."

"Thanks Grandma...I mean Hera." Persephone was slightly oblivious to the look Hera had given Eros, as she took her her new appearance. Eros had slipped in a pair of earrings that connected her upper ear to her lobe via silver chains. Each of the connected studs were tiny black butterflies. 

"Oh, I love them." Persephone gasped in adoration. She jingled the chains, admiring the tinkle of the metal. "And they're totally healed, so I can just change them out?" 

"Yes. Here, I picked these up on the way over." Eros held out two open earring boxes, they were obviously for the cartilage and not the lobes. One had a plain diamond stud and a plain sapphire stud, and the other had a silver loop with a puppy paw charm and a gold stud with a dangling heart. "I saw plenty of regular earrings in those jewels of yours." 

"If you two don't hurry, We'll miss our reservations." Hera called from the hallway. Persephone took the boxes, slipping them into her sleek, white backpack purse that she had discovered in the closet with the price tag mysteriously missing. Eros had, of course, lost his mind over how not even his mom had dared pay the price for it. Hera and Amphitrite apparently each had one in white and green or gold respectively. Persephone followed her down the stairs, blinking in surprise at what she found waiting in the garden that made up the back of the exquisite mansion. 

Zeus was seated in a tiny white chair, in his uniform, with his crown blazing in all it's glory. He held a crystal teacup in one hand, and the other was pushing a matching tea saucer towards a pile of sweets. Hebe sat across from him in a ridiculously adorable purple and white dress with straps made of tiny gems, purple socks with white ruffles and a pair of white mary jane heels. On her head was an exact replica of Hera's diadem, and she was placing the cutest teacakes on Zeus' plate. Next to her plate was a dozen of red roses wrapped in a gold ribbon being held by a teddy bear.

"Okay what?" She whispered to Eros, who shrugged. Hera leaned down to kiss Hebe's cheek, then, to Persephone's surprise, she leaned down again to kiss Zeus. The kiss was light, but it lasted for half a minute, as if the couple was reluctant to part but also afraid that allowing any more passion would break the moment. It felt, to Persephone, that she was watching two brand new lovers about to tumble into physical intimacy for the first time: simultaneously beautiful and intrusively voyeuristic. 

"He must have dumped Thetis... again." Eros huffed. "It's funny, how much they truly love each other. Here, look." He took her hand, and for a moment, the three people beyond the glass wall lit up. Hebe was the purest, most sweetest white, like freshest snow around a perfect diamond. She tinged purple and gold when she looked up at her parents. Hera was a radiant gold, with veins of purple shooting rays of light into the sky as Zeus pulled her back in for another kiss. Zeus blazed a majestic purple, and meteors of gold exploded into the air around him as he caressed his wife's face before finally letting her pull away. 

"How could he ever..." Persephone felt her heart in her throat as Hera picked up a napkin and dabbed red lipstick from her husbands lips before adjusting his crown. The colors were gone, and Eros released her hand. 

"He's not built for monogamy. Most gods aren't. Hera and Hades are really the only gods I've ever read that are wired for monogamy ." Persephone balked, turning to her friend. She didn't need to ask, apparently, because Eros shrugged.. "What? You're a fertility goddess. Your instinct is to procreate. However, your love for Hades has pretty much tamed your 'promiscuous' side."He air quoted the words. "Fertility gods and goddesses can choose to be monogamous. You think I didn't notice that little flicker of crush attraction you have for my Dad or for Hermes?" 

Persephone felt her cheeks flush, indignation rising in her chest. She crossed her arms, as her chest grew tight. Eros immediately flailed back three steps, flapping his hands in the air as if in panic. "Like, you'd never cheat on Hades. I know that. I can tell that you love him that much. Your love auras are almost completely blended. It's just, you're hardwired to identify mates that would pass on strong genetics. Like I said, you can _choose_ to be monogamous and still be happy." 

"You two ready?" Hera's voice made her jump. 

"He's so cute with her." Persephone stumbled out, hoping Hera hadn't overheard. She gestured to the tea party outside. "No offense, but I never realized-" 

"Hebe has Zeus whipped. She has since the day she was born." Hera gave a content little sigh before gesturing them towards a waiting car and driver. "She's the only one of our children he was there for the delivery. He would have been there for Ares', but I threatened to rip his dick off, so Hestia kicked him out of the room. By the time he got back, Ares was already fed and swaddled." Persephone didn't need to ask why Zeus had missed their other children's deliveries. It was common knowledge. "Only Athena comes close, but, you know, she did sprout from his head." 

"They do teaparties often?" Eros chuckled, and Persephone resisted the urge to hold his hand like she'd done so many times. His words were still eating away at her. _Does Hades know? Is he going to have jealousy issues? It's not fair that I don't understand anything about me. Mama kept so much from me._

"Father daughter dates are the first and fourth Friday every month." Persephone barely heard Hera's words, until her sister in law touched her arm. "Where's your mind at, Persephone?" 

"Hades." Persephone wasn't technically lying, but Hera patted her shoulder knowingly and passed her a glass of champagne that Eros had somehow poured. "And the fact that I just learned fertility goddesses aren't designed for monogamy-" 

"Eros, I swear you and your mother need to be slapped." Persephone sucked in quick sip, before Hera swirled hers. "You're right, but none of us are designed for celibacy either, yet that organization of Hestia's gets by just fine. It's all about choice, and you're not the kind of woman to hurt her husband." Persephone relaxed some, but her chest was still tight, until Hera spoke again. "You controlled yourself before you knew. Knowing should only  
Make it easier to control."

"You're right." Hadn't she turned down Apollo, hadn't she stopped herself with Ares in the meadow before she moved here, and hadn't she controlled herself around Hades so many times? "It's just, I don't know so much about who I am, that each new thing feels like an ultimatum."

"Well, it's not. Now, stop moping! We need to help Eros plan his proposal to Psyche." Persephone perked up with excitement. "Why did you think we got this spa day together without her?!" The thought of Eros finally marrying the woman he loved chased away all of Persephone's thoughts, so much so that She didn't even see the text from Athena, when she opened her phone and immediately began pulling up jewelers so Psyche wouldn't find the search history on his phone. 

**Athena: Red alert! Demeter's back! She knows about Hades. Didn't have time to explain everything to her.**

Low in Tower one, Hades dropped into his chair, lit a cigar, and rubbed his temples. He'd been in meetings with the architectural team all morning, discussing how they were going to not only revamp the conference room into Persephone's office, but also add in the small executive ensuite and a desk area for her future PA. The office supply room between his office and the conference room was going to have to go away, which meant relocating all their supplies elsewhere. 

Persephone had agreed to let him design it, so long as she got to complete the garden, dog play area, and orchard. Honestly, Hades felt like her ventures were going to be much more productive. "Grow lights.... grow lights." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, as he stared at the booklet. He was adamant about not putting the cold fluorescent lights in her office. So, the designers had recommended lights that mimicked sunlight for indoor growing. "In the ceiling or chandeliers or.... fuck." He wanted it to be graceful, elegant, befitting a queen. Yet it also needed to be spontaneous and wild and breath taking, like her springs. 

"My Lady! My Lady! You can't just barge-" Hades jerked his head up as Galina shouted at someone. The door blew open, and the cozy aroma of freshly harvested grains and oatmeal mixed with cinnamon and brown sugar filled the room. 

"Fuck... no!" He dove for his phone, which was on the edge of the desk, tripping over the base of his chair, as a flash of purple and green stormed in. "Pomegranate, Call Little God-fuck!" A golden blade embedded itself in the floor just between his feet. "Demi.... hi-"

"Don't you Demi me you worthless piece of lecherous shit!" Hades smoothed his tie, as Demeter snatched the sword from the floor, and held the tip against his groin. "She's nineteen!!! You stole everything from her! She's nineteen!" 

"I stole? I STOLE!?" Hades grabbed the sword hilt, twisting it hard enough to make her grip break, but not enough to hurt her. "I saved her life! I gave her everything!" 

"You deflowered her!" Demeter's eyes were murderous, as her accusation slapped into Hades. "I come home, find out my daughter is dismissed from our order and married to you! How dare you?! How dare you take that from her! You're just like-" Hades covered her mouth, his own rage simmering down. _Oh, gods. She doesn't know..._

"I didn-Ow!" He yanked his palm back as Demeter bit him hard below the thumb and yanked her sword out of his grip. "I didn't take her Maidenhood!" Rubbing his palm he put space between them. "What did Athena tell you, or did you storm out as soon as you asked where Persephone was and she said in the Underworld?" 

"I spoke with Hestia, not Athena. Maybe I did storm out, but that's not important, _Aidoneous_. What's important is that you ** _defiled_** my baby girl. You raped-" Hades 

"Apollo did... Apollo raped your daughter. Then he tried to beat her into submission a week later, probably to claim her as his bride, but she summoned me and I kept her safe until she could confront him." Hades watched as the shock of the news struck her face. "See." He picked up his phone, opening the news pages. Demeter snatched his phone, as the sword disappeared. "Yes, we are married, but I promise you on everything I hold dear, I have never touched to Persephone in any way that she hasn't asked of me." 

Demeter was silent, as her primal form shivered beneath the surface. Hades could feel and smell the rage boiling off of her. _I knew she disliked me, but to assume I was capable of such horrendous acts is something all together different._ "I knew you thought low of my Demeter, but seriously? Rape? You think I'm capable of something so despicable?" He snagged and relit his cigar, crossing to the portrait of Cerberus to open it and pull out a bottle of whisky and a stash of nectar. "Sit down, have a drink, and I'll explain."

"She punished him? My Kore Kob sentenced him this way?" Demeter's normally stern face lit up with a wicked grin so proud and so proud that Hades finally saw that Persephone had inherited her slightly pouty lower lip, the wrinkles between her brows, and the tongue touched behind the front of her teeth. Hades breathed a sigh of relief when she perched on the chair across from him and took a proffered glass. 

"Yes, she is quite... dreadful, when she needs to be." Hades did his best to keep the lust from his voice. "She also turned Minthe into a plant for slapping me and my dogs." He added, watching as Demeter almost spit her drink out. "She's got a wickedly vengeful and stubborn streak that only you could have passed down." 

"Oh, Gaia save me, you love her. No! No!" Demeter slammed the empty glass down, her eyes tight and lethal. "You will give her back to me. You said you haven't touched her. The marriage can be voided. I will take her-" 

"I said I haven't touched her in anyway she didn't consent to." Hades knew he was playing a dangerous game, but it couldn't be helped.  
"Yes, I love her, and by some insane twist of the Fates' threads, Persephone loves me. She is my destined queen." Demeter's fingers clenched, knuckles mossy white over the bones. "The marriage has been consummated, at _Persephone's_ request." 

"Bastard!" Hades dove off the sofa, as Demeter lunged for him, vines whipping furiously. "You took advantage of her while she was vulnerable! You manipulated-"

"Persephone is not a woman to be manipulated, Demeter! Apollo saw to that." Hades didn't want to fight Demeter. He could understand and empathize with her emotions, but he would defend himself if she started in on him. "And if she wants to leave and go with you, she's free to! I'm her husband, not her fucking jailer!" 

"Where is she then? I already checked your house!" Hades stood his ground as Demeter rounded on him. "Call her! Go on! If she isn't being held against her will. Call her!" 

"Fine." Hades yanked up his phone, pressing Persephone's contact. He put it on speaker, as it rang four times. 

"Hey, You've reached Persephone, Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld. Leave a message, and I'll call you back.... no! NO! BAD FUDGE! BAD! STOP CHEWING ON THE-BEEP!" 

"Hey, Sweetness, Your Mom's here. Call me back before she looses her shit. Love you." 

"IT's been a damn month! How could either of you possibly-"

"Fate, Demeter, and Don't pull that face!" 

"Give me her damn number!" 

Hades thrust his phone into her hand, hoping to all the gods she didn't open the text thread. Persephone hated having her picture taken by other people, but she was not shy about sending him some rather tantalizing poses. "She's out with Eros and Hera. If they went to the Spa, she mat not answer because of that. You're more than welcome to come for dinner tonight. I'm cooking pa-" 

"I'm going to find my daughter, and you better get used to the idea that she is never stepping foot back in this realm again!" 

"You better get used to the idea of me as your son in law!" Hades roared as the door slammed behind her. His heart was pounding, but he wasn't worried. Persephone would not choose Demeter over him. He wasn't worried at all, and yet, he found himself reaching for his phone that Demeter had dropped on the floor.

**Little Goddess, call me now! Please!**


	37. Chapter 37

"Where the hell is my daughter?!" Demeter's shout echoed out over the pool side cabana where Hera, Eros, and Persephone were soaking in a mineral spa, sipping on some coconut flavored beverage, and enjoying the shade of their umbrella. Well, Persephone and Eros were relaxing. Hera was on the phone dealing with setting up blessings she'd been neglecting for the last month. 

"Oh, sugar snaps. I forgot she was coming back today." Persephone slid her sunglasses down, lifting her head from Eros' arm on the decorative tiles, as a blur of green and purple wrapped in black pinstripes came storming out of the spa building. "Mama!" Shoving her cup into Eros' hand, she pulled herself out of the water and sprinted barefoot over to her. "Oh! I missed you! How was your trip? How was the festival in Ireland?" 

Her mother's arms were arm and tight, as they encircled her. "It was good. Both were good. Oh, my Kore. I missed you." Persephone couldn't help but smile as she buried her face into her Mama's jacket. "Have you been drinking?" Her voice swiftly changed to stern, and when Persephone pulled back, she saw look of disbelief and disappointment that cut her to her core. 

"Yes! I'm an adult! I can enjoy-"

"You're nineteen! You're barely old enough -"

"Your Majesty, I hate to interrupt, but you're upsetting-" Persephone reached out with her left hand to place a finger over the Satyr's mouth. Then she cut her gaze to him, before lowering it. "I mean, why don't I fetch Lady Demeter a drink. Water? Mimosa?"

"Dionysian wine with a half shot of nectar." Persephone informed him, knowing perfectly well her mother had one every night before bed. "My tab, thank you." Taking her mother's hand, she tugged her over to the mineral bath where Eros had dragged another lounge chair into the shade and Hera gave a small wave before returning to his call. 

"What are you wearing, around _males_ no less?" Persephone looked down at her stringy bikini bottoms and the pale blue lace triangle top that covered her nipples but was practically transparent. Hera was wearing a similar one, in purple. Eros, had, thankfully, acquired something to go over his speedo. "Son of Ares." Her mother huffed, nodding at Eros. "I see you've got designs on my precious-"

"What?! No!" Persephone threw her hands up as she took a towel from an attendant and patted the chair beside her. "Eros is just a friend, like, no.... no... Mama... I... Um." She could see the suspicious dread, and only then did she realize that Demeter hadn't questioned her being called 'Your Majesty'. "Mama, don't play ignorant with me. You know already-"

"That you married Hades?! Yes! To make it worse, he says _You_ asked to consummate it?" Persephone felt her cheeks flush. "Seeing how it's not even noon and you're half drunk, I can see how he managed to coerce you into that. Although, after what Apollo did to you, I can forgive the need to drink! Put this on, we're going home, now!

"No!" Persephone pushed her offered suit coat away. "My home is with Hades. If you'd shut up and listen to me, Mama. I'll-"

"Did you just tell me to shut up?!" Demeter growled. The sharp cheek slap came so swiftly and unexpectedly that Persephone instinctively shrunk in on herself. Her mother hadn't spanked her since her first cycle began at thirteen, and she'd only ever popped her face once, the first and only time she'd discovered her kiss the cheek of a mortal boy at nine. There had been a total of maybe six strikes over the course of her entire life, so few and far in between that Persephone had forgotten them until that moment. 

"Demeter!" Hera hissed, but Persephone didn't turn. The hot tears rolled down her cheek, clouding her mama into a blur of purple and green. "Are you stupid? She's a fucking Queen!" The tightness in her chest spilled into her stomach and throat, closing her throat, making her shake.

"I'm her mother. Queen? Ha! She doesn't even love him. I refuse to let my little flower child spend eternity tied to that piece of shit." Persephone felt herself break, as she remembered everything her mother had hidden from her. She struck out, gasping in shock when her palm collided with a green cheek. "Kore!" 

"Hades is the kindest, sweetest, most loving man I know. Don't you _ever_ talk that way about my husband again." Persephone wiped her eyes furiously, revealing her mother's shocked face. "I do love him. I've had a crush on him since I saw him in Hecate's tower, and then, when he took care of me after the Panathenaea, it only grew. When he was there for me when I was raped, how he offered to drive me back to your estate if I needed him to, I realized all the stories were lies! You're all just terrified of him because he looks like Kronos! Well I'm not! I love him"

She surged to her feet, although it didn't give her any height advantage. Her mama stared at her in shock and anger, with vines inching along the ground. "No! You won't make me go anywhere!" Persephone lifted up, making full use of her powers. "You can't lie to me anymore mama. I'm a fertility goddess. I have the ability to command shades. You thought you could lie to me, my whole life! You repressed everything I am!"

"You're just a child, Kore! You don't understand. One month here and you're striking me like a petulant-" 

"My name is Persephone!" She screamed, forcing her diadem into existence, dodging her mother's hand as she hovered. "I am the Dread Queen, not some thirteen year old you can lock in the fucking greenhouse every time I ovulate!" 

"Don't you speak to me like that! I'm your mother! You're coming with me, now!" 

"No!" Persephone felt a new sensation, one she'd never experienced, unfurl deep inside of her. The need to flee her mother and the need to see Hades merged into an urgency she couldn't control. "You're not making me do anything!" She stepped back, and the world changed. Suddenly, she was staring at the glass wall of Hades' office.

"Sweetness-" She turned, finding him on his desk phone and a triple horned satyr mortal mix holding a pile of papers, with one extended. "Gotta call you back, Julian. You, drop those and get out." He slammed the phone down, and the satyr fled. "Your mother..."

"She slapped me!" Hades jerked himself up, catching Persephone as she launched herself into his arms. His arms were so warm, so strong, as they embraced her. "I hit her back. Oh my gods. I hit Mama!" She sobbed into his chest. 

"Persephone, shhhh it's okay." Warm lips pressed into her hair, and all the rage and anger seemed infinitely small. "She's already been by to threaten me. I told her you were out with Hera and Eros. Let me see." She lifted her face so Hades could caress the angry, throbbing place on her cheek. "Oh, Sweetness, I'm so sorry."

"I can't believe I slapped her back." Persephone tried to hold back another sob. The three mimosas and one tropical drink seemed to hit her at once. 

"I can't believe you can shift travel from Olympus to the Underworld." Hades chuckled softly, and Persephone blinked. "Athena is the only one outside of the Six Traitors to master it. Have you ever shift traveled before?" 

"No! I was just so mad and so scared! Mama tried to use her powers to bind me. I had to get to you, and here I was!" The thought made Persephone feel sick, and added with the alcohol, she had to cover her mouth. _Why would Mama do that? I know she's disappointed, but why would she ever want to force me to do anything I don't want to_. "I don't want to ever leave you. Please don't make me." 

"Never. Never! You're my wife, my Queen." His thumbs brushed her cheeks lightly, and Persephone felt relief at the way he kissed her brow. "You're a little tipsy aren't you?" She nodded, sucking in a shaky breath. his eyes flooded scarlet for a moment, as a shudder passed through him. Vaguely, Persephone recalled it was how he looked any time he adjusted permissions of the border. "Thought so. Tell you what. Why don't I call Basil, and have him drive you to get the pups at daycare? Then why don't you go home, and relax." 

Persephone nodded, tightening her arms around him. "I have a few meetings I can't reschedule again. I'm sure Eros or Hera figured out where you went, and they'll bring your things home." 

"You modified the barrier between realms so Mama can't come in without permission from one of us didn't you?" Hades smirked, and Persephone sighed "I can't avoid her forever." 

"Just until you sober up." Hades kissed her softly, and Persephone knew there was no point in arguing. "I'll be home in a few hours. I promise. You're going to start freezing if you stay here much longer dressed like this." He playfully jostled one of her bikini bottom strings. "Why don't we invite her for dinner?"

"Yeah...yeah..." Persephone nodded, shivering as the panic ebbed, allowing her to feel the cold air. "Can you call Eros or Hera for me and have them drop off my stuff?"

"Of course sweetness. Basil should be downstairs by the time you get there." Persephone accepted his kiss, knowing he was right. She could think better if she was sober, and hopefully Hera would be able to calm her mama down by then. "Here, wear this so you don't get cold on the drive." Hades opened the armoire he kept his royal robes in and passed her a thick cape. "I love you." 

Persephone wrapped it around her, and kissed him again softly. "Love you too." She didn't think she could ever get used to how much he cared for her. "I'll text you when I get my stuff." 

As she exited the office, Hades snatched up his phone to call Hera. With Persephone gone, he let his anger boil over. _How could she hit Persephone like that? Because she chose me?_

"Basil, it's Hades. Persephone will be in the lobby in five. Take her to get the pups and the. Home." 

"Yes sir." The call ended. Hades opened the next contact and his call. 

"You better be calling because of my wife currently keeping your mother in law from castrating my son, and not because you two are having some secret affair." Zeus' voice sounded mutually angry and amused. 

"So she's there, huh?" Hades lit a cigarette, prowling the length of his office. "Yeah, she's already come after me." 

"No, not here. Hera came home then Artemis and Hermes called her, claiming Demeter was at Apollo's estate." Zeus sounded a bit distracted. "She left her phone on the.. Hebe, Princess, stop turning your sister's grape juice to wine, just because you think I'm not looking!" 

"She didn't happen to have Persephone's clothes and phone did she?" Hades felt his face break into a grin at his nieces' mischievous schemes. "Demeter showed up at the spa, and she and Persephone went a round or two." 

"She said Eros was dropping it off." Zeus made a noise of protest, snd then the sound of shattering glass came over the line. "I'd love to stay and gossip about your in law issues, but my daughters are in the middle of turning the entire pool into a vodka tornado." The line went dead. 

Hades stared at his phone and heaved a sigh. "Hopefully she gets a few stabs in for me, since Persephone and Zeus told me I couldn't."


	38. Chapter 38

Hades inhaled deeply at the aroma coming from the direction of the kitchen, as he walked in the door. The sound of feminine giggles, three separate sets, made him relax. He had altered the barrier bans when Persephone had texted him that Demeter had agreed to dinner. _Hopefully Demeter got her rage out on Apollo and they made up. Who else is there, though?_

"Cerberus! Oh my goodness! Lookit you!" Athena's voice flooded him with more relief. "Who's a good boy." 

"He is, yes. He's Mama's good boy. Not Daddy's, nope. All Mama's." Persephone's trill made him grin ear to ear when it was overtaken by the loud bark of her favorite fur baby. "Look, Mama made you a nummy meal. We've got some white rice, some raw eggs, _and_ Auntie Artemis brought you a poacher's leg. Yes she did!" 

"Where's my poacher's leg?" Hades rounded the corner into the kitchen, finding Artemis in her huntress garb, with maybe a splotch or two of mortal blood on it, in the middle of coaching Persephone on how to cook lamb. 

Athena was standing between Cordon and the rest of the pack, who were eagerly chowing down. "Uncle Hades." He caught her in a hug, taking care not to wrinkle the red dress shirt and black slacks. "Hi!" 

"Hey Tuto. You look stunning." He kissed her brow, before turning to Persephone, who was wiping her hands. "Excuse me while I go kiss my wife out of those adorable socks." He pulled Persephone in, ignoring the glowers from Artemis, to kiss her deeply. She tasted of grape juice and fresh ambrosia and pure, freshly combed honey. "Mmmm I missed you, Little Goddess."

"Think I'm gonna puke." Artemis faked retching, as she added some sort of fruit sauce to the meat. 

"Oh stop." Persephone giggled, and Hades put up no protest as she loosened his tie. "I missed you too, Your Majesty." She kissed him quickly before absconding with his tie and holding it up to Athena's neck. "Hmmmm no... no.... I think just the shirt. Here." She tossed the tie back at him, as Athena shifted anxiously. "Lose the cufflinks and roll up your sleeves." 

"Since when do you ask for fashion advice, Tuto?" 

"Since she has secrets, nosey!" Persephone swirled her finger and held up an exotic looking burgundy flower that she tucked behind Athena's hair. "Mmmmhmmmm I wouldn't say no." 

"I would!" Artemis chimed, her lips pulled up in a smirk. "But It's because we have the same taste." She snagged Persephone's arm. "We've gotta go if I'm going to drop this one off before my shift. Remember, take no shit-"

"I'm a mother fucking Queen, not a damn princess. Got it." Persephone cast her eyes at him, and he bit back the urge to bend her over right there. Obviously his nieces weren't privvy to their lifestyle, just as he was obviously missing something. 

"Wish me luck, Uncle." Athena kissed his cheek, and he blinked as he realized she was wearing clear lipgloss and just the faintest hint of mascara and eyeliner when he looked at her properly. She wrapped Artemis in a hug. 

"Good... luck?" Hades managed to get out before they disappeared. "Okay, first: that's ten. Second... what just happened?" 

"First, I'll take my ten after Mama leaves." Persephone was back at the stove, and Hades found himself behind her, kissing the bare expanse of her shoulder. "Mmmmm second, Athena has a date with one of Artemis' priestesses." He froze, confused.

"What do you mean a date? I thought... I thought they had to remain maiden." He watched as she lifted the lid of a pot in the back to stir, sending the aroma of fresh greens soaked in butter, salt, and tantalizing spices in the air. 

"Aidoneus, maiden simply means 'unwed' or, in other cases, 'untouched' by a man." Hades stepped back, blinking at shock. It had never occurred to him that Athena regarded her vows in such a way. She was so adamant about the order, that he'd always assumed she was celibate like Hestia. "Only Mama and Hestia have taken full vows of celibacy, although it was assumed I would too. Pretty sure that's so my fertility powers would never fully develop." 

"Wait....wait. You mean to tell me my niece is only a maiden goddess because she strictly likes women?" Hades wondered how he and His brother's had missed that. 

"Yup, so she wouldn't be forced into an arranged marriage or claimed by someone. Not that anyone would be stupid enough now." Persephone shooed him away to open the oven, and he was so distracted he didn't even notice the way she bent over with a little wiggle. "Pretty sure Artemis is the same, but she hasn't admitted it yet." 

Hades snorted, shaking his head. "So, the maidenhood is mostly about keeping women from being forced to marry men?" Persephone was pulling plates down, so Hades waited until they were safely on the counter before grabbing her by the waist. "I mean I can't blame them, we suck. Why'd you leave again?" 

"Because you suck a little less than the rest." Persephone's giggle and over the shoulder kiss to his cheek made him forget, temporarily, that they'd been cooking for her mother. He had missed the playful banter of their friendship prior to 'the summons'. 

"If Artemis and Athena put you in such a good mood, you should spend more time with them." He tucked her shoulder length hair behind her ear before she turned. That old, playful sparkle was back, not that he was complaining about how more recently it had been replaced by a fire of lust. 

"Artemis and I are still figuring out how to be around each other." His arms were empty before he could blink. "Mama should be here any minute. Can you help me set up the garden?" 

Persephone had to agree that her friends had put her in a good mood. There was a familiarity to being in a kitchen with Athena and Artemis. They'd been part of her childhood and then her first few weeks in Olympus. It was Artemis who had taught her how to cook meat, though Persephone had never wanted to eat any, and Athena had taught her chess. When she'd called, after burning Hades' initial steak and had no defrosted meat, Artemis and Athena had moved their 'Athena Needs to Look Hot' party to the mansion. 

"This looks amazing." She smiled as she set the wine and glasses down, before Hades did the same with the plates. Persephone breathed out a sigh of relief, because she had wondered if maybe she'd gone too overboard with the ivy covered trellises she'd rushed ordered. They also encircled the lamp posts, and Persephone had made the archway leading to the orchard grow vines that hung in curtains with wispy white flowers. "You've outdone yourself." 

"Thanks." Persephone accepted his soft cheek kiss, but stole from his arms. She needed to get the food onto the heated trays and change her shoes. before her Mama arrived. She needed everything to be perfect, so that the argument from the afternoon would be forgotten. "Can you help me carry-" the sound of Cerberus barking, which started up the whole pack, echoed from the house. "Nevermind. I'll get-"

"I'll let your Mother in. You put on your shoes." Persephone nodded, squeezing his arm before hurrying in to hide her fluffy, black sparkle socks and step into the wedge sandals to tie up her calves. She managed to get her mother's favorite vegetarian dolmades from  
their tray onto serving plates and Hades' fruit brazed lamb chops with his favorite steamed green vegetables in her honey oil butter sauce onto a plate when the pair rounded the corner. 

"I've got these, Sweetness. Why don't you show your mother to the garden." Hades looked like he'd rather have his teeth pulled, but Persephone loved him all the more for it. 

"Thank you, Aidoneus." She cupped his cheek to kiss it softly, hoping to show her mother how much she cared for him. "You spoil me." 

"When you let me." His eyes danced playfully for a moment, implying how she often protested at him buying things, before the distinct tap of Demeter's pumps drew Persephone back to the room. 

"This way, Mama." Persephone felt awkward, like there was an ocean between her and her mama. She'd always felt so close to her, but now everything felt cold and sharp and empty. "Um, have you met the pups?" The pack was milling around them, as Demeter followed her to the path outside the door. 

"Just Cerberus." The guardian paused in his sniffing of the rose bushes. "I've seen them on Fatesbook, when Hecate or Athena share pictures." Persephone blinked, a bit shocked that she had one. Mama hadn't even wanted her to have an email. 

"We have JP, Fudge, Big John, Mushroom, Russell, and the prince and leader of the pack." She pointed at the white puff growling at Cerberus. "Cordon Bleu. He's the only on who will nip." 

"Hmmm." Persephone wrung her hands in her dress as they continued on. "Is that... are those your roses?" She nodded fervently, as her mama stared in shock. "Impossible! I can't even get grain to grow here, and roses are infinitely more fickle!" 

"Hades was surprised too, when I grew an entire forest in Tartarus." She stepped back when her mama rounded on her, rage in her eyes. "He didn't send me there. It was Minthe, on my first day as an intern. H-h-hades saved me from being strangled by a shade when my forest triggered the alarm." 

"Right... like I believe that." There was no denying the set in her jaw and shoulders. Persephone had a feeling she wasn't here to make nice, but she was going to try anyways. 

"I grew all of this." She gestured her mother into the small dining area beside the fire-pit Artemis had lit a small fire in before they started cooking. "And, it sort of just stays. I expected it to turn to gold pollen and petals like the flowers I grow in people's hair. It hasn't yet." She fidgeted with her hair, wishing she'd worn it shorter, because she didn't want to look nervous. "I'm sorry I slapped you." 

"Apology accepted." Demeter settled into the chair furthest from the fire, as if making a point. "I'm guessing you cooked? Huh, he said he was. Of course, he's turning you into a housewife. Next he'll be knocking you up every chance he-" 

"Mama! Stop! He's nothing like that. He made me his equal in power. He can't command me anymore than I can command him." It was no secret that when Zeus married Hera and crowned her Queen, he had worded her coronation so that she was High Queen over all but him. Poseidon had given Amphitrite equal power, and Hades had done the same for Persephone. "What I do in our home is by my choice, not his command. Please, can we wait until he's here to have this discussion." 

"Yes, because I have to tell you both something." Demeter crossed her arms, and Persephone realized her mother had yet to apologize for striking her. Tears bit at her eyes, but she fought them back, refusing to let them fall. _You're a queen now, not a child._

"Here we are." Hades' voice was forcedly pleasant, as he set the serving tray down. "Demeter, Kore, and myself. It smells amazing, darling." 

"So he can call you Kore, but I do it and you scream in my face?" Demeter seethed, and Persephone sucked in a breath. "I spent centuries trying to conceive you on my own. I carried you on my own! I labored like a bloody mortal in order to make sure you were perfect, but I can't call you-"

"Because you use it to keep me a child! He uses it because he sees me for what I am as a person!" Persephone growled, stabbing her food. Her appetite was gone, and the rage was welling inside. "Can't we just discuss this without fighting!?" 

"Please, Demeter. When she gets angry, red vines and shades have the tendency to-"

"You stay the fuck out of this, you pompous, perverted, prick." At her words, Persephone turned fully to face her mother. "What I did to Apollo today isn't even half of what I plan to do to you!" 

"Mama! Enough!" Persephone bellowed, feeling her hair grow thick with red vines. She clenched her fingers, allowing her diadem to burst free. "You are a guest in _our_ kingdom. Mother or not, I will not hesitate-"

"Persephone, love, you need to calm down. You're sprouting hemlock in the roses, and Cerberus is getting irritated." Hades' touch ebbed her fury some, only enough that her favorite furbaby curled back up for C.B. to continue licking one of his six ears. 

"This isn't going to be your kingdom long, little girl. I have an appointment tomorrow to petition Zeus to order your return to the mortal realm, and he _owes_ me." Persephone felt her blood run cold. If it came to ordering Persephone's return or facing how many of his affairs had been forcibly hidden on Demeter's estate, Zeus would protect his own butt. 

"Mama, no!" She surged to her feet. 

"My brother would never-"

"Wouldn't he though?" Demeter smirked victoriously. "I mean, he doesn't usually order you and Poseidon around, because you are his brothers. He can though. After all, High King of the Gods trumps King of the Underworld." There was a cold bark of laughter. "And Zeus will do anything to keep these little "marital bliss" moments with Hera for as long as possible." 

Persephone felt dread flood her veins. The rage and offense were frozen in terror. The thought of being ripped from Hades, from her babies, and from her kingdom was physically painful. "No! No! NO!" She flailed back from the table, clutching her chest. The fear in Hades' eyes confirmed that her suspicions were true. She had to do something, anything, but her mind was too chaotic to function. 

Fudge and Russel barked from orchard, making her jump. Her feet were moving before she could stop herself. She ran, until her instincts took over and lifted her into a hover. 

"Persephone!"  
"Kore!"

She didn't stop, didn't pay heed to the shouts of her husband and mother. She seized a pomegranate and pulled hard. The branch snapped, sending her tumbling to the grass. "No! Little Goddess, don't you dare!" 

"Little Bean! No!"

Persephone dug her nails into the hard fruit, oblivious to the dirt and grass staining her legs and dress, ripping it open and gasping at the juice that stained her skin. A blue hand came into view.

"Purple!" Hades flailed back, his chest ripping in two at the word from Persephone's tear soaked lips. "Purple, Purple, Purple!" He grabbed Demeter by the arm, yanking her back. 

"Don't... we can't touch her when she says purple." He sobbed, wanting to stop her, to keep her from what she was obviously doing. "You can't-" 

"The fuck I can't!" Hades bear hugged the second oldest of all the pantheon, keeping her from touching her. "Let me go!" 

"Kore... please... please don't do this to yourself." Hades begged. He could stand her being married to him and ruling with him, but the thought of her binding herself permanently to the underworld for eternity was too much. "Please... please don't eat them. Just drop it. Okay. We'll talk this out." 

"No." Persephone scooped the seeds out, and Hades grunted as Demeter bashed her elbow and head into his body simultaneously. She lunged forward, but it was too late. Six seeds tumbled into Persephone's parted lips, and she swallowed without chewing. The flowers in her hair changed, as her eyes flashed white. Gone were the forget me nots and daisies. In their place was only pomegranate blossoms. "Try to force me to leave now Mama." 

Hades dropped to his knees, crawling to his Queen who was seething and staring at her mother, who had gone pale. "Kore..."

"I'm a mother fucking queen, mama! I'm not a little girl!" Persephone clung to him, her fingers staining his shirt. "And I'm staying right here!

"You." Demeter turned her gaze on him, and Hades felt the full force of it for the first time since the war. "You will pay for this!" In a rush of fresh hay and oatmeal with honey, his mother in law was gone.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heavy use of D/s power exchange   
> Verbal bondage (will make sense when reading)  
> Rough, hard, angry sex  
> Aftercare is super fluffy though

"Are you angry with me?" Persephone whispered, watching Hades unfold three fresh towels. He hadn't spoken since storing the leftovers in the fridge, not when she offered to wash the dishes, not when she took his shirt to the laundry room to try to get the juice stains out, and not even when she'd joined him in the bathroom to wash herself off. Hades gave her a long side look, before turning on the shower and stepping in. 

"I'm so furious with you I could scream." His fingers came out to take her hand and pull her in after him. She went willingly, slightly afraid of what his anger could cause. She knew he'd never hit her, but there were other punishments, ones that involved their relationship turning cold and loveless, that terrified her. "I... Persephone... you..." his voice was so torn, that Persephone wondered if her actions had only served to drive them apart. Then, his hands framed her face and his lips were on hers. 

Persephone gasped in surprise, but she still managed to grab his shoulders and neck, surrendering willingly to his unspoken demand for dominance. As his tongue curled along the roof of her mouth. She tried to find purchase on his slick skin, but he had her lifted and was pressing her into the shower wall. With a gasp, she wrapped her legs around his hips, digging her heels into his butt. Desire flamed low in her belly, obliterating her fear, when she felt him grow hard against her. "Hades..." she whined, torn between stopping him or begging for more. "I'm still on my-"

"That's why we're in the shower." He growled, sending her mind into overload. "Is that a problem, Little Goddess?" 

"Not if it's not for you." Persephone mewled as he rocked his hard length between them. "Don't I have fifteen-" 

"I'm too pissed off to do that right now." Hades low voice was bordering on desperate and livid. "We need to talk." His lips pulled her ear, and she arched her hips into him at the sensation. "But I can't think of what to say." Persephone didn't protest when he stole her lips again, not as demanding as before, but just as determined. Her entire body was alive, pleading to be relieved of the tension he was stoking inside of her. "You want to know what you've done, what _that_ stunt caused?" He rocked into her again hard, his voice so low and gravely it put Cerberus' warning growl to shame. 

"I bound myself to the Under-" 

"You bound yourself to me." Hades hands disappeared from under her thighs, and Persephone squealed in fear as she slipped down his wet body. Before she could fall, he had her by the arms, turning her, pushing her breasts into the slick stone, forcing her wrists up over her head with his right hand as his teeth found the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "I _own_ you now. Everything you have is mine-" His hard arousal was hot against her back, even as his left hand fisted her hair, pulling with more force than he had any other time. "To _take_ -"

"Hades!" Persephone cried when he bit down, the points of his primal fangs burning pleasure into her skin. She pulled at her wrists, but there was no relenting on his end. The feeling lit a thrill of apprehension and anticipation in her chest that rolled like a flaming bubble to her thighs. 

"How I want." His words were quiet now, only audible over the near scalding cascade because of his proximity to her ears. "To _use_ -" His fingers tightened on her wrists, pushing ever higher, forcing her so far onto her tiptoes she would have fallen forward if not for being pinned between him and the wall. Her breath felt fleeting, evasive, as she swallowed. "How I please." He dragged his fangs along her jugular, driving goosebumps along her skin. "And only Zeus can override my commands." 

Her heart began to race, as her instincts warred with her mind. Her reflexes, the most base, primal urges were screaming at her to fight, that the most dangerous predator had her caught and pinned. Her mind was a blur of need, half formed pleas for him to just thrust into her and not stop until they were both too exhausted to move. The conflicting desires came out in a contradiction. She tried to pull her wrists and hair free, while she mewled, "Please, Your Majesty, need you hard..." 

"I command you close your eyes." Her eyelids snapped shut against her will, and Persephone cried out in protest. "I command you to be silent." His whisper tightened her throat, rendering her mute. It hit her, blocking out all heat from Hades' body and the water, with a frigid realization of what she had done. For the first time, true fear seized her, until his fingers tightened in her hair and his teeth pulled away from their dance on her neck. "I retract my command to close your eyes." She whimpered soundlessly when the black wall of the shower became visible. 

Persephone tried to look at him, but she couldn't overpower the grip on her body. "I command you to get on your knees, **now**." Persephone dropped, barely noticing how though he released her body, his fingers were lightly balancing her as she fell to the smooth, flooded stones. She looked up, trying to speak, to say something, but her voice was trapped in her throat. His erection was proud and full in front of her, the smooth head tapping her brow with each of his exhales. "I warned you to stop. I begged you. I tried to keep you from this, and you forced me to stay my hand."

Persephone tried to reply, but no sound came out. Hades eyes were a maelstrom of love and lust and anger and despair. His skin swirled midnight blue and stars from his raging emotions. She didn't know whether to break down and weep or take him in hand until he came down her throat. Everything was too muddled, too unclear. "This is what it means to eat the fruit of my realm, Kore. This is what _you_ brought on yourself. Do you understand now?" She nodded fervently, trying to convey with her eyes. "I don't think you do." His fingers were in her hair again, pushing her head back so she couldn't look away from his eyes. 

"An eternity of servitude, Little Goddess." Hades dropped to his knees, his breath chilling the water blurring her vision. "Why do you think I allow no pomegranates off my property except to feed shades upon in processing? Why do you think I'm so fucking furious with you?" She gasped silently, reaching for his face, unable to voice her tumultuous thoughts. "I gave you everything. I made you my equal. I gave you more freedom than Zeus ever gave Hera, and you _threw_ it in my face." The word came out in a bitter hiss.

_I'm sorry. I didn't understand. I thought this just bound me to your realm. I thought I would keep me with you!_ Persephone touched his clenched jaw, but he did not turn in to kiss or nip her palm like usual. "Hands off, now." Her fingers fell through the air. "As punishment for your constant desire to go after shit that is bad for you! You cannot touch me until we're done." _Done with what?_ Persephone clenched her fingers on her thigh, swallowing hard, blinking the water from her eyes. "I'm going to fuck you, Little Goddess. I'm going to fuck you hard and fast, right here." The fizzling desire exploded to life again at the razor edge of his words. She parted her lips, blowing wordless breaths out. 

"I allow your safeword to be spoken to stop me." Persephone felt the invisible silence on her vocal chords lessen, but it didn't dissipate. She licked her lips, sucking in a breath. "You may say 'too much' if it becomes too much but you don't want to stop. Other than that, you may not have any other words, and." His lips pulled back in a dangerous smirk. "You are now permitted to make any other sounds you wish, Little Goddess." Persephone felt her gasps finally crackle over her lips and break the silence. "I want you turn around and prostrate yourself like you're a mortal at worship." 

There was no automatic pull, as she turned, and she realized it was because Hades had not directly ordered it. He gave her the small freedom to refuse, a moment to think, and chance to break the trap she'd unknowingly locked herself in. She stretched her torso prone before her, placing her forearms and palms flat, resting her face on her skin. The water finally dripped free of her face, and she whimpered in anticipation when his fingers touched her rear, sliding down to touch her curls. "Spread your knees, now." Her legs slid apart until he growled. "Stop."

"I'm going to be hard. I need you to use your words if you need to. Tap your palms once to show me you promise." Persephone slapped her hands down firmly, her entire being over stimulated, begging for release. She could feel her arousal dripping, mixing with the water on her thighs. She gasped in a breath when she felt him at her entrance, making her core clench and eyes slam shut in anticipation. Her heart slammed into her ribs, once, twice, three times, and with a feral howl he was buried inside of her in one stroke. 

There was no pause, no brief interlude to allow her to adjust like he always did when she wasn't on top. Persephone grabbed at the slick stone floor, sputtering water from her lips, tossing her head back to cry out when he pulled back and took her again, just as hard. "Head, down!" He shouted, fingers clenching in her hair, pushing her face back to her arms. 

"Petulant, disobedient, rash,!" Each word bit out of his mouth in time to his thrusts, and Persephone shouted out at the harsh pleasure he was driving into her body without mercy. "A queen acts with logic!" He twisted her hair around his wrist, and she finally gave up the fragile control over her own primal desires. "Yes! That's right. You want to make me yield, but you won't!" His fingers dug into her hip, nails scraping her skin as his other had pulled and pushed into the base of her skull. 

Without words for her use, Persephone keened out the avalanche of passion in her veins. He was relentless, making her clench reflexively, her thighs longing to close but prevented by his commands. Each thrust hit her deeper than others had, and when she felt that coil, the incessant push to the edge of ecstatic oblivion, his palm collided with her thigh in a sharp burn of intense pleasure. "Don't you dare fucking come, Kore. That's an order." Her race to the ledge skidded to a stop, leaving her balancing on the edge. "Fuck... fuck!" 

Persephone whimpered loudly in frustration, clenching her fists against the floor, biting her arm slightly in search of some form release. A part of her, that deep, primal, Queen of her soul desperate for completion, begging to feel the satisfaction from the intense need that his domineering command had sparked inside of her, dropped her safety net onto her tongue. The rest of her, drunk on the thrill, high on his touch, ever trusting that he'd never leave her used and broken, won out. 

She mewled, shaking her head in his grip, curling her feet over his calves and pounding the sides of her fists to the floor. It was like he could read her mind, because his weight was on her back, lips on her shoulder, both hands on her wrists. His thrusts never easing, never slowing. She couldn't breathe straight, and her mind was on fire with desperation to come undone. "So close, fuck Sweetness. Just a bit more." His hands slid up, covering hers, lacing their fingers. She squeezed them and keened out her encouragement. 

She felt his rhythm falter for a beat, and then he thrust into her so deeply, almost brutally, her knees nearly gave out. Only his arms around her waist kept her from collapsing, as he grunted furious growls and groans into her hair. Persephone shouted put in response, her body still pleading for release but also mourning the feeling of him inside of her when he slid out. His weight disappeared, and she nearly sobbed when her head wouldn't lift off her arms to look for him. 

"Come to me, my Queen. Come here." His fingers were on her elbows, and she pushed up, collapsing back into his arms, panting for breath. Shaking from the climax that was frozen deep within her. She let her head fall onto his shoulder, staring up at the rivulets of water trailing down his skin. His lips pressed into her brow, one hand cupping her left breast as his other glided down her heaving belly to her curls. Two fingers pressed to the pulsing bud there, making her finally sob. "Come, now!" He growled, circling once while he kissed her lips hard and squeezed her breast.

She exploded, digging her nails into his arms as she arched into his touch. She cried out, feeling her heart nearly rip from her chest as her head spun. Tears of relief stung her eyes, and Persephone felt his silver seed cascade down her skin as her body clenched. "I release all commands. I release all commands." Hades' own gasp was gravely in desperation. 

"Aidoneus!" She turned in his lap, throwing her arms around his neck as he peppered her face in kisses. "Hades. Aidoneous... I... I didn't-"

"Did I hurt you? Was it too much?"

"No... no... it wasn't I swear. I just... hold me." Persephone clung to him, as he leaned back into the shower wall and bent his knees to give her a stable seat. She kissed him briefly, before hiding her face in his neck. She felt unsteady, overworked, like when Ares had used his powers on her. "I didn't know... I didn't know. I just didn't want to-"

"I know. I know." Hades stroked Persephone's flushed skin. His fear and frustration, sated through her love and trust, was shrinking to the background as the need to dote and care for his trembling wife took hold. "That was a lot. I took a lot from you. Just breathe, cry, whatever you need Sweetness." He stroked her soaked hair, which was pooled around them, littered with pomegranate blossoms and rose buds. The steamy air was saturated in the fragrance of their mutual arousal, completion, and the blossoms. 

"Hug me, please. Tight." Hades tightened his arms, pressing his face into the top of her hair. He was dying for her lips, but he knew she would kiss him once she felt steady. Her lips pressed against his chest, making him sigh. The trembling in her body slowly lessened, as did the broken breaths. Her fingers, which had been clenched hard against his shoulders gradually relaxed. "I'm okay. I promise." Her words were muffled by his chest, and he lifted his lips from her hair when she shifted her head against his chest. "I need to kiss you."

Hades loosened his grip and caught her frantic lips with his own. He let her take the lead, resuming his gentle caresses and brushes of his fingers on her skin. She stroked his face, and Hades didn't think he'd ever felt anything so tender. Her tongue met his only briefly, before disappearing to allow their lips to break and come together with softer, hesitant gasps. "I love you." She sighed, her eyes finally finding his for the first time since he'd turned her around. "You know I did it because I love you, because-"

"I know, Sweetness. I know." He cupped her face, shivering as his nearly limitless hot water began to cool. "Let's get you dry, okay." She nodded, sniffling hard, and he eased her off his lap. Hades didn't let her stand unsupported, making sure to keep her at his side so her trembling legs didn't give out. 

"Can I wear one of your sweaters?" Persephone's voice was uncharacteristically soft, almost fragile, and the question confused him. She hadn't asked to use his clothes since the night they first kissed. She simply took them. 

"Of course, Sweetheart." Hades wrapped her in a towel, taking care to dry her face gently. "Would you like me to cut you hair?" She gave a soft nod, her lower lip seemingly stuck in a permanent pout, and her eyes wide and watery. "Pixie cut?" She nodded again, clutching her towel around her like a cloak. He got the scissors that had taken up residence next to his straight razor, and then picked up her comb.

Gently Hades combed her hair back into a ponytail. Then, with his newly acquired precision, he cut the bundle of hair and let it turn to petals. "Okay, Little Queen. Let's get you warm." He combed the short locks smooth and set his tools aside.

"Can you just grab me some clean underwear too?" She shifted, looking away, and Hades nearly slapped himself for forgetting. 

"Right!" He hurried out, pulling the door to, but not closed, behind him, to retrieve a pair of underwear from her 'comfy' drawer and his favorite pale silver sweater with a tiny Cerberus embroidered over the left side. He passed them through the door. "Do you want to let the pups in the room now, or later?" 

"Later... um, can you pour me some water or juice. I'm feeling a little shaky." Her voice was that same, almost fragile tone. Hades didn't know what to make of it, and part of him was beginning to worry she was lying about being okay. Then he remembered neither of them had eaten, and he groaned. "Aidoneus?" 

"Sweetness, you need to eat. Would you like me to order something?" He pressed his hand flat on the door, hardly breathing, listening to her movements. "Kore, Love."

"Um.... yes. That BBQ place. Can You order me some of their extra cheesy mac and cheese and a chocolate banana milkshake with whip cream and um a... um..."

"The deep fried pickles with the dill ranch sauce." He offered, acutely aware of the noises her feet were making as she dressed. 

"Uh huh." 

Hades picked up his phone, immediately typing in the order, making the mac and cheese a double and getting himself a strawberry shake. He could go down and get meat from the fridge later, when she slept. Right then, he wanted to just be close to her. Something was off. "Persephone, would you like me to get dressed?" He called. Normally, once done for the day, they both resigned to nothing but skin, with the previous night's exception of her underwear. _I hurt her. I hurt her, and she's hiding it. There isn't another explanation._

"No! No..." The ensuite door flew open, and Hades nearly dropped his phone when she jumped on him, wrapping her arms and legs around him. The way she clung to him erased the worry that he'd scared her in some way, but also left him floundering for another explanation. "I'm just... Hades." She buried her face in his neck, and he stumbled back to the bed. 

Carefully, Hades fell back to the bed, curling Persephone into a ball on his chest, yanking the blanket over to cover her. "When you're ready, you can talk about it if you want." She nodded softly, stroking the scars over his chest. He stroked her cheek with one hand, tracing his thumb over her sweater covered spine with the other. "I just need you to know, Kore. That I will never, and I mean ever, use my sway over you again, unless you ask me to. If I hurt-"

"I enjoyed that... I mean really enjoyed it." He looked down, searching her breathtaking face for any sign of hidden truth. There was none. "That's not why I'm.... please don't think I didn't want everything that happened in there. I would have said something." He caught a single tear from her eye, drying it on the sheet. "I miss Mama." Sucking in a breath, he felt his heart clench. 

"I know, Sweetness... I know." Softly, kissed her nose, offering her an understanding smile. He wanted to assure her that it would be fine, that Demeter would come around, but he knew better. He knew her better than anyone, and he was the only one who knew why she truly hated him. "I'll fix this... I promise." 

"I love you." 

"I love you too." Hades couldn't live with the pain in her eyes, so he let his mind weave a temporary solution, as they cuddled in intimate silence. Finally, as the doorbell sounded over the dogs half an hour later, he spoke again. 

"Would you like to visit Elysium with me tomorrow, my Sweet Goddess?"

"I think I'd like that very much." Persephone hummed, her eyes finally dry, though puffy. "For now... I want food."

"Be right back." Hades eased her to the sheets to grab himself some clothes.


	40. Chapter 40

_It was always dark, always. Aidoneus sifted uncomfortably in the abyss, breathing in the hot, damp, acidic air. The ever present thud-glump, thud-glump, of Father's heart drummed over his head. His throat was dry, burning from the heat. He stared into the dark, try hard not to scratch the scabs that had formed over the scratches father's teeth had left. The acid pool below, where he often slipped and tumbled into during sleep or when Father was particularly active, or when he ate too much had prevented them from healing._

_Father had been extra active moments before, but Aidoneus was used to that. He thought he had heard Mama's voice, and she had been using the sweet tone that usually bespoke activity from Father. Aidoneus hoped that meant he would eat soon, or drink. He was so thirsty, oh so thirsty._

_Suddenly, Father roared something, his voice muffled by the pounding of his heart and the flood of acid below Aidoneus' squishy ledge. Words barely made sense to him now: Mother, Mama, Rhea, Father, Kronos, food, wine, water, Helios, Nyx, and Metis he knew. The words in his mind made sense, sometimes, but his tongue couldn't work right anymore to speak. What did speaking matter, when he was alone? Father began moving fast again. Somewhere Metis or maybe Nyx was screaming words. "Demeter go! Go! GOOO!" Aidoneous didn't understand that word, Demeter._

_The activity didn't as long as usual, and while father was moving, it was slow. Then, he stopped, and Father laughed. Somewhere far above him, he thought he heard a scream, but he wasn't sure. The muscles around him began to move, and for a brief flash, light broke overhead. The scream grew louder, louder, and Aidoneus cringed back as something tumbled past him to land with a tiny splash._

_"Mama! Mama! Help!" The voice was so small, so fragile. He knew the instant the voice felt the acid, because it cried out in agony. Aidoneus growled in pain, dropping into the acid and flailing until he found the sobbing in the dark. "No! No! Monster! No!"_

_He grabbed her hand, pulling her up from the acid. It must be a her, with a voice like Mama's and Nyx's. Quickly, he pressed her palm, no bigger than his thumb to his cheeks, trying to convey he wasn't a monster. "It burns.... my back... my back...." she was sobbing again. Aidoneus' head pounded, as the piercing wails stabbed his ear._

_With a grunt, he found the extra firm but narrow ridge and pushed her against it. Then, wrapping his arm around her itty bitty waist, he hoisted her up and threw her to the flat space high above the acid. She landed with a yelp, and he hauled himself up to curl into his usual corner. "That hurt me... you hurt me." He grunted in apology, not remembering what word to use, gritting his teeth against his disintegrating scabs. "I can't see! I want my Mama!"_

_Suddenly, Mama's voice was loud. "No!!!! Metis! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"_

_"My baby! My baby!" Came Metis' voice. Aidoneus choked back a sob of agony when acid slid into one particular gash on his back from his hair. "Demeter! Demeter!"_

_"Mama! Mama! Mama! I'm here!" Aidoneus shook his head, wishing it would all just go back to silence. He hurt so much. Then, the voices were gone, and the girl was crying. "Are you Aidoneus?" He groaned a painful confirmation, the word so odd on his ears. "I'm Demeter. I'm five years...gah!" She cried out in the dark, but he didn't move. "Will you hold my hand? Please? I'm scared. My back hurts. I don't want to be alone."_

_The only words that made sense were 'hurt' and 'alone' but there was nothing Aidoneus could do for her. So, he squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to take advantage of Father's stillness to sleep. It didn't last, and with a jerk, he found himself being tossed into the empty space. Little Demeter was calling his name. "Aidoneus... Aidoneus..."_

Hades jerked awake, something soft and warm pressing into his lips tenderly. "Persephone." he breathed, reaching for her in the dark. "What's wrong?"

"You were muttering Mama's name." He lifted his arm from his pillow when she tried to snuggle closer. "And something about burning." He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her fragrance. "That's two nightmares in a row." 

"Told you, Sweetness, I don't sleep well." Her lips were warmer still against his bare chest. "Especially when stressed." 

"You're always stressed." 

"Overstressed." Hades countered, stroking her bare back. He froze, trying to make his sleep ladened mind process why that wasn't supposed to be that way. "Where's my sweater?" He resumed his caresses. 

"Got too hot." Her thigh wedged between his own as Persephone began toying with his hair. "Haven't really slept much." She sighed, and Hades squeezed her tighter. "You were really snuggly until you started talking, and the heater is still on." 

"Oh, Kore. Why can't you sleep?" The soft kisses on his chest paused. Hades brushed his face back into her hair, breathing deeply.

Persephone sighed, because her mind was so full. "I had a nightmare about _him._ " it was true, but there was so much more. The terror and panic had felt so real. "Then I was walking with Mama, and she trapped me in this massive greenhouse. I tried to escape, but there were no doors." She bit her lip, snuggling closer to him in the dark. "You were there... you said I had to stay. You said it was the only way you felt I was safe from you. I begged you to let me go, but you left me there."

"Well..." his voice was gruff with sleep, but the elongated word made her freeze. "I can't say dream me is wrong. I'm always afraid I'll hurt you somehow. I promise, I'd never dream about locking you up in anything.... except maybe handcuffs to the bedframe." She poked him hard in the gut, earning herself a dry laugh and a tighter squeeze. "Sorry, continue." 

Persephone found her favorite scar in the dark, the one that looked like two arrows crossed through a knobby rose, and she kissed it softly. "At the back of the greenhouse was a river, and a woman was playing with so many children." Hades went rigid underneath her touch, so she pulled her lips away to wriggle up and let their noses touch. "She looked sorta like me, but.... she was darker, and really pretty. Like when I met Hera as a child, and I had never seen anyone so beautiful. She said 'Aidoneus always misses the obvious, no matter how hard he scowls.' When I tried to ask what she meant, she said 'Have your King bring you to me.' Then I woke up." 

"What time's it?" Persephone huffed in protest when Hades rolled away to flail for his phone. "Two in the fucking.... Gaia." It plopped back on the nightstand loudly. She pushed herself up, knocking his hands away from his face to lace her fingers with his on the pillow and straddle him. "Kore... what are you doing?" 

"You stopped cuddling me to check your phone. Rude! So rude!" She couldn't really see him in the dim glow of the now locked phone. "Middle of a dream explanation and a good snuggle, and you were so rude." She slipped her fingers down to his wrists, pinning them to the pillow.

"Well _excuse_ me, Queen Persephone." Hades tone was playfully snarky as he jerked his wrists lightly, a mockery of resistance. "However shall I pay for my wicked deeds?" 

She huffed indignantly, before making her decision. "Tell me what you were dreaming about Mama and burning." Getting Hades to talk about his nightmares was pulling teeth. His last explanation had simply been 'I dreamed my Father was trying to eat you, pass the salt'.

"It was a memory..." His broad torso shifted under her, but Persephone wasn't letting her husband escape until he talked. 

"I told you mine..." 

"Okay. Okay." She waited patiently, though her worried mind wondered if she wanted to know what memories of her mother could involve fire. "I dreamed about was the day she was swallowed. The day I first hurt her." Persephone didn't understand. _How did he hurt her if Cronos swallowed her? She was five. Wouldn't he have been nineteen?_

"She was scared and in pain. She asked me to hold her hand, and I didn't. I left her there to cry on her own." Hades voice was heavy, thick, on the verge of cracking. "All she wanted was to not be alone, and I didn't really care."

"Aidoneus, that can't be why she-"

"Part of it, the beginning. There's so much more. I can't explain it all right now. We need to go." Persephone noted he didn't try to flip her off. Hades simply wriggled his wrists. She released him, and squeaked when he shot bolt up right to kiss her sweetly on her lips. 

"Go where? It's two in the morning." Persephone could feel him sleep hardened against her rear, and her heart skipped in anticipation. "Mmmm the bath? The shower? To get a towel to put under me here." 

"Elysium, you insatiable little fiend." His strained tone disappeared with his laugh as he pushed out of the bed with one arm, and supported her rear and thighs with the other. Persephone didn't leave him much choice, because she was refusing to let go. "When we're done, I promise we can go for a swim, and a bath, and a shower, and put a towel on the bed." 

"Promises, promises." She hummed in his ear, grunting in protest when he turned on the closet light. She buried her face in his neck, hiding from the brightness. "Why are we going to Elysium at two in the morning?"

"Because I planned to take you after breakfast, but I need to show you now." He eased her down, and Persephone yawned, despite having been awake an hour already. "Would you mind wearing something a bit more traditional than usual? It doesn't have to be white." 

"Sure." She rubbed her eyes, stumbling over to her dresses. Persephone had no idea what he was going on about, but there was an edge of a secret in the air, like a story. The heroes were stealing away in the dead of night to explore some path to paradise. "How traditional... like  
This." She pulled out the fabric for her older chiton. "Ooooor this." She held up a dress just a shade lighter than his skin, that while cut similarly to her chiton, had a slit from ground to hip on one side, zipped up the back, and came with a built in body shaper that did marvelous things to her already perky and full breasts.

"Blue... Yeah... you know how I feel about you in blue." She giggled, ducking out of his reach to slip into the dress. By the time she'd retrieved a pair of wedged, he was already wearing a more modern version of his own, knee length chiton, in white. Persephone stepped closer, shocked to find that the tailored fabric had tiny pink roses along the hem. "You and your embroidery." She teased, but he seemed oblivious as he touched her ears. "What?" 

"I'm the worst husband ever. You pierced your ears yesterday, and I just noticed!" Hades knew he'd been a bit preoccupied, but still. "I love it." He was supposed to notice things like that. "And, you won't need shoes unless you want them. Elysium is warm where we are going." He watched as she dropped her shoes and smiled. "You look radiant." He hummed, leaning down to kiss her gently. 

He was being extremely cautious in how he worded things. Hades didn't want to make her feel like he was violating his promises. "Thanks!" Her giggle was so sweet, and his heart melted when she cupped his cheek. "Why are you brooding if I look radiant?" 

"Because I hate how I could hurt you with one careless word. I want to find a way to break this bond, but I don't know how without dragging my brothers into it." Hades absolutely did not want to bring the rest of the Pantheon into it. No doubt Demeter was already at work sowing discord against him. "If I ask Zeus, then it will look like I'm too eager to have you away from me. If you ask him, it seems I'm holding you against your will. If we do break the bond, Zeus can order you-" Her hand came over his mouth and Hades swallowed the rest of his words. 

"I made a mess of this, I know." He hated how her face fell softly. "I hate that I've hurt us both, but I trust you to not abuse me. You know this, right?" He kissed her palm softly, blinking back the blurriness of tears in his eyes. "I do. We'll think of something. Now, are we going?" 

"Yes." Hades scooped her against his chest, kissing her hair, and stepped through the voids. 

The air of Elysium in this area was perfect for Persephone, suspending the realm on the eternal edge of spring and summer. Some places were cold, but only so those who found paradise and peace in a winter wonderland of perfect snow could be happy, and around those areas was the fragile vestiges of autumn. Other places were in the various stages of sunrise or sunset, though the sun itself was artificial. 

"It's just like I imagined." His wife gasped, and Hades took her hand gently. "Wait... this meadow. This meadow was in my dream, in the green house." He looked down, unable to help but smile at her confusion. "See those lilies... if we." He let her tug her onward, into the tangles of unkempt grass full off butterflies and bumblebees. The rush of a river echoed from nearby, and Hades felt his heart lift at the weeping willow that came into view by the river. 

"Wait... there should be kids... there were so many." Hades squeezed her hand and pushed the willow branches back to reveal blankets spread around, with tiny forms slumbering softly. "Wait, shades sleep?" She whispered. 

"Children don't become shades, love. They stay preserved as immortal innocents. The aren't even aware they are dead. They just relive this same day, over and over." He guided her through the boughs, taking care not to wake the sleeping little ones. "These little ones all passed while in this very meadow and a flash flood happened. The flood never recurs here, but they live their lives to that moment, and restart." 

"So where is the woman?" Persephone murmured, and Hades parted the branches to reveal a sweet, sprawling house. It should have been a cottage, but an attached greenhouse swelled from the side. It was also ridiculously enormous, half as tall as Tower one. He smiled as they approached it, watching it shrink, until the door opened. 

"Aidoneus! You're two weeks early!" 

"Mama!" Persephone covered her mouth in shock as Hades released her hand to pull the woman, who was as tall as he was, into his arms. "You woke Persephone. We couldn't get back to sleep." 

"Hello, my Little Dove." Persephone felt like she was going to faint. 

The titan Queen was hard to focus on, and Persephone had to force her eyes to focus. Her skin was the darkest pink she had ever seen, nearly verging on burgundy. On her head was a golden crown that seemed to radiate light from within. Her eyes were the exact color of her skin, and hair, and they danced in delight as she leaned down to cup Persephone's cheeks. "H-h-hello, Rhea." She felt her heart pounding in instinctive fear. _All of the titans are supposed to be in Tartarus. Zeus decreed it after the Titanomachy._

"You're absolutely beautiful." She swallowed hard, doing her best not to fidget "Wait, _we_ -are you?" She felt her cheeks flush as her mother in law hugged her tightly. "You're my Aidoneus' queen?" 

"Yes, do you approve?" She looked over at Hades, who was watching with a hopeful expression as they parted. 

"Do I approve of the child I taught Demeter how to conceive marrying my son?" Persephone whipped her head back around, as Hades made a noise like he'd been slapped. "Of course I approve. When I appeared in her dream, it was because I sensed your fear over her being bound to you. I didn't imagine it was because she was your wife." 

"Excuse me, I'm confused." Persephone pulled away from the both, her throat running dry in shock. "I thought Zeus said all titans must be locked in Tartarus, and how did you know I'm Demeter's daughter?" Hades grimaced, but Persephone didn't back down. 

"Technically he commanded us to be held prisoner in the underworld." Rhea gave a rich laugh, and Persephone was surprised to see that her eyes weren't pink, but red like her son's. "I was... initially."

"Hades?" She looked over at her husband who shrugged, giving no signs of shame or fear.

"I wanted her to be safe from my father." Hades moved towards her, taking her hand. "Mama, Nyx, and Metis fought against Father, but Zeus didn't want to risk them. Once I built Elysium.... I... I brought her here to sustain it." Hades' face fell and Persephone stepped in to touch his cheek. "Metis was... she was too far gone, mentally, to free. Nyx didn't want to leave her blood lake and cave, so Metis is hidden with her." 

"Shame, because Metis was the most wise of us all." Rhea sighed. "Please come in." She gestured to the house. "We have much to discuss."

It struck Persephone, hard, that Hades hadn't asked her to keep this secret, though it was obvious it was one. Before he brought her, he could have commanded her to secrecy. He hadn't though. He was committing what could be considered treason, but he asked nothing of her. She leaned her head against his arm as they followed Rhea inside. "Mama said Titans were huge, how come she's our size." 

"They can alter their appearance, much as we do for mortals. She cares for the children, so she often stays this size." Hades kissed her hair as they entered the cozy hut. It had been sized down to accommodate the children asleep outside. Dolls and wooden chariots were littered about the main room, where a large cushion had scrolls and a shawl on it. 

Through that room was a dining area, full of little chairs and a table with plates and bowls. "My little ones just had their supper, so they'll be napping for a little while." Hades pulled her chair out, but Persephone wasn't sitting down. Rhea was pouring hot water into mugs, so she waited until they were safely placed on the table. "Sit, Little Dove, Aidoneus."

"How did you know Demeter's my Mama, and what did you mean you helped her conceive me?"


	41. Chapter 41

Hades grabbed for Persephone's arm, but she ripped it away. He barely caught himself before telling her to calm down and have a seat. "Sweetness, why don't we just-"

"Aidoneus, your Queen has the right to know the circumstances of her birth." She didn't seem phased by his Queen's stubborn demeanor or outburst. "Or the fact that you're the reason she exists at all." Hades had never felt his stomach drop in dread so quickly, and Persephone grabbed a chair. "Oh, not like that. Good Mother Gaia, Sit. Sit. Have tea." 

Hades tried to help Persephone into a chair, but she refused. He refused to force her, so he sat in his usual spot. Then, as he should have predicted, his perfect little goddess perched on his lap. "Mama, will you please clarify what you mean." 

"You were quite upset that day, and a little drunk. I'm not surprised you don't remember." Rhea sat the tray of tea and fruit she'd prepared down. "I think that no good nymph had done something to upset you. That's not important, though, my little worrier." Hades forced himself to relax his brow, feeling his lips pull up as Persephone held her cup and rested back into him. His mother made an odd expression, and he opened his mouth to ask. "Sorry, Aidoneus... it's just... for a moment, I thought I was looking at a painting of Kronos and I. It's quite... circular, your marriage." 

"Rh-...Mother Rhea, I don't care if he's your son. Do not _**ever**_ compare him to Kronos in any way. He hates it, but as your son he'd never admit it." Hades nearly dropped his cup, feeling his face flush in anxious anticipation at how his mother would react and in pride and gratitude for Persephone's gesture. 

The area was heavy, thick with tensions, and Hades prepared for the women to fight, his mother, however, nodded. "I will respect your wishes, Little Dove." Persephone relaxed in his arms and Hades sighed. "Now, to continue. You were here because you were upset, and your phone range. It was Nyx's little Hera." He tensed, trying hard to remember when he had ever brought technology out here. Rhea wasn't too keen on it, was convinced it disturbed the children. He hoped it wasn't one of _those_ calls. 

Persephone shifted on his lap again, sipping her tea, and Hades curled his arm around her waist, earning another pleased smile from his mother. "You we're talking about Demeter, and you said 'she's a few fucking nuts short of a market stall if she thinks she can get pregnant without a man'." Persephone elbowed him gently, and Hades heaved a sigh of relief. 

He honestly didn't remember what conversation this was, but he did remember that, twenty years or so before, his first puppy besides Cerberus had fell into the Styx because Minthe left the front door open. The fight had been bad, and there had been about four weeks of whisky, cigarettes, and sloppy blowjobs in dark Tower hallways until he forgave Minthe enough to look her in the face. 

"So what does this have to do with Mama making me?" Hades had to admit that Persephone asked good questions, usually. 

"I know what it was like to want a child, to struggle to conceive, only to have it ripped from you time and time again, to watch your dream swallowed." Rhea's face drooped, and Hades reached around Persephone to hold her hand on the table. It was this pain that had inspired him to move her here, to give her this corner of the Underworld. "I know what it's like to never hold a miracle you made in your arms and know that nothing could ever take it away." Three tears rolled down her cheek, and Hades rested his chin on Persephone's hair to keep his own jaw from trembling.

"Mama, it's okay. We're fine now. We are." _Maybe not mentally. Frankly, we three are pretty fucked in the head._ He had never told her the extent of his and his brothers' mental issues. "Go on." 

"So, I went to her in her dreams, like I came to you tonight. I told her I could help, but the results would be, well, unpredictable." He felt Persephone perk up, but Hades felt his stomach drop. Demeter knew Rhea was in Elysium, not Tartarus. She could easily betray him to Zeus. Zeus would lose his shit, again! "She came to me here, and I agreed to help her so long as she never revealed to anyone that I was free except those who knew. She bound her oath in ichor." 

"Oh, thank Gaia." Hades relaxed. Still, it didn't make sense. How could his mother have helped Demeter? More importantly, how had Demeter gotten into Elysium without him knowing? 

"Shush. Storytime." He kissed Persephone's cheek at her reprimand and closed his lips. 

"I told her I needed to take one of her eggs from her own body. She consented, and I did. Then I instructed her to fertilize the egg with the pollen of a flower that can never wilt." Hades sucked in a breath. The only flowers that could never wilt were located in the Underworld. Asphodel was the only plants grew naturally besides Pomegranate. They didn't truly grow, as they never wilted. They just existed. "Then the egg needed to be incubated in soil that cannot sustain life for three days. If a sprout shows on the fourth, the egg is strong enough to be carried by the mother. If it does not, the egg will deteriorate. Then, I needed to place the egg in her womb, and she must return immediately to the seat of her power, be looked upon by no man and drink nothing but nectar, and each of those must last for theee days." 

"Flowers that can never wilt and Soil that cannot sustain life? Um," Persephone shifted on Hades' lap, feeling a bit unsure of how her mother would ever do these things. "Those things are only found here in the Underworld." 

"Yes, I warned her that the possibilities existed of the child having abilities for both realms, but she said so long as the little girl was born of her, the chances were small." Rhea gave a delicate shrug. "Do you have abilities of both realms, tiny Spring flower?"

"Yes, she has the power over shades and she bonded with Cerberus the day they met." Hades cut in. 

"I see. Well, I imagine she tried to repress it in favor of your fertility and seasonal-"

"What she did is of little concern, Mother Rhea. "

"Please, just call me Mama or Mama Rhea. Mother Rhea is so formal, and you are my daughter now." Persephone sucked in a breath at the words. She understood why Hades had asked to bring her here, even before the dream. She missed her Mama, but she had gained a new one. It wasn't a replacement, but it was a gift. 

"Mama Rhea." She tried the title, as Rhea reached around the table and held her fingers hesitantly over Persephone's belly. "I'm not... I'm not pregnant." She offered softly, but lifted Hades' arm away anyways. 

"I know, I'm just confused. What is this... this... medicine that makes your womb inhospitable? You said not to compare my son to his father, yet you do not trust him to sire any children-" 

"Mama! That's not-"

"I'm not ready for children yet. Hades is going to make the most amazing father, I'm not afraid of that." Persephone pulled Hades' arm back into place. She was still reeling about the steps her Mama had taken to conceive her, but she would think about that later. Rhea had told her to come so that Hades could stop missing something. "What is it you said he is missing. I don't understand what you mean." 

"You want to break his sway over you, yes? He is upset with his power over you." Persephone pushed her neglected tea away, even as Hades sat up straighter behind her and wrapped both arms around her waist. "It's quite simple, and I know my son has dismissed this idea as too simple." 

"Mama, I have never found any way to break the bond, not even death." He sighed, and Persephone had a feeling that he had probably spent centuries planning and plotting for the eventuality that a living person would eventually eat of his orchard. "The bond is eternal. Zeus made sure of that." 

"Yes, the bond is eternal. Your little Queen will forever be bound to you, your realm, and your influence." Persephone swallowed hard. _Why bring us here in the middle of the night for answers we already have?_ she squeezed Hades' fingers, doing her best to calm him. "Your commands over her could be nullified though, quite easily." 

"How?" Persephone loved how the word spoken by them both came out in perfect harmony.

"You simply command her to ignore any commands or orders she does not wish to follow." Rhea sipped her tea with a single shoulder lift as if to say 'see, this is why I said he over analyzes things.

"No, no... it can't be that simple." Hades scoffed, and Persephone turn on her knee to face him. He was worrying again, face tight and knotted in fears. "I can't just order-"

"Try it! Try it and mean it, Aidoneus." 

Persephone felt like she was going to drown in the match pools of scarlet as they bore into hers. She felt him draw his authority in, could feel her core tingle as his thoughts focused on her. Some parts of her body rang in desire at what he could possibly be about to command, while her stubborn, independent needs rebelled at the influence. "I command you to not follow any orders or commands I give you, after this command, unless you wish to follow them." 

Persephone felt like binds had been cut from her wrists and ankles, invisible binds she hadn't even noticed were there. "Give her a command, any command. Something she would really, truly, never want." She could see the fear, the hesitation in his eyes. "Aidoneus, trust me. Do it." 

"I... I... I command you to go have sex with Poseidon right now." The words came out with a burst of power. For a moment, Persephone felt the urge to jump from his lap and fly to the Ocean. It was there, and it was powerful, but her disgust at such a thought welled up, and she clenched her fist. 

"Fuck no! Not in a million lifetimes." The urged disappeared, and Persephone covered her mouth as his jaw dropped. "Aidoneus... Aidoneus...it worked." She threw her arms around his neck, tears she hadn't known were forming bursting free as they met in a heated kiss.

"Kore... Kore. You're free again. You're free." His words were slurred, muffled, as the kiss pressed and broke with little grace or form. "I can still feel you, but... fuck, Sweetness." 

"Equals again." Persephone pulled back to cup his face. She wiped the tears leaking down his cheeks with her thumbs. "Oh Hades." The look of joy and relief on his face was so powerful that she nearly forgot Rhea was there and she nearly began undoing his clothes. 

"How... surely Zeus would have thought of this-"

"You inherited Kronos' worry, suspicions. Poseidon inherited his need to procreate, his carelessness, and his emotional logic." Rhea chuckled softly. "Zeus... Zeus inherited his power and throne, yes, but he also inherited his pride. Why would the High King ever imagine something so simple occurring?" 

"Mama...mama... we're hungry. Is it time for dinner?" A little voice made Persephone jump, and she turned to find two boys, obviously close in age, holding hands in the doorway. One had the greenest eyes she had ever seen on a mortal, with hair like polished chestnuts to his shoulders, and he looked about eight or nine. The other, taller one, had eyes like newrly ripe olives, and hair the color of cornsilk that hung to his shoulders. He looked about ten or eleven. "Oh, hello. I'm Aiden. This is my brother Dion. Are you friends of Mama?" 

"Move! We're staaaaaarving." Came another voice, and a younger child, with eyes the color of the color of toasted wheat and hair nearly identical to Dion's shoved them apart to barrel in, tugging a blonde girl with sapphire eyes with him. He skidded to a stop, staring up at Persephone and Hades. Swiftly, he dropped the girls hand and reached out to touch Persephone's arm. "You're really pretty, Miss Pink Lady. Will you marry me when I grow up?" 

"No! I saw her first, Zeke!" Aiden protested, and Persephone covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. Hades was chuckling openly, even as Rhea made to stand and break up the shoving match that had erupted. 

"Oh my gods. You're both so stupid! She's obviously married to King Hades. Look!" The blonde girl waved her hand at them, before tugging at Rhea's skirts. "Mama, I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yes, of course you are Helena. Now, you three stop squabbling and go wake up your siblings. I think we'll take dinner by the river, and then we can go for a swim!"

"Yay!" Helena gave a delighted twirl before grabbing Zeke and Dion's elbows. "C'mon you heard Mama!" The boys went with her without a backwards glance. 

"We should go. You've obviously got your hands full." Persephone didn't know what to make of the scene that had just occurred, but the look Hades gave her told her he would explain. She slid to her feet, smoothing her clothes as Hades' stood.

"Aidoneus, will you please step out." Persephone gestured him out, and once they were alone Rhea stepped forward and placed a hand on her cheek and one on her belly. Persephone felt an odd flicker of warmth, that maternal comfort only her Mama's touch had ever brought. "Please come and see me anytime, Little Dove. I may have only birthed my little Kings, but I wet nursed and cared for the others as well. That is why I am called 'Mother of Gods'." She felt tears prick her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. "I hope you fix things with Demeter, but know you'll always have me too." 

"T-t-thank you." Persephone reached up to hug the woman, finding she smelled just like Mama's kitchen at breakfast. The comfort in her embrace was almost identical. "I promise to visit soon." They parted with mutual kisses to the cheek, and Persephone joined Hades outside. 

"I'll never tell a soul she's here." Persephone promised, squeezing his fingers. 

"I didn't think you would." Hades' smile was soft as he pulled her to his chest and stepped backward into the ether.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much half fluff  
> Zeus is douchebag King  
> But still a lot of fluff

Persephone ran her fingers along the intricate designs of the throne. _My throne_ She reminded herself. Hades had shown it too her after their meeting with Rhea, as well as the gifts from Hephaestus. The smith had crafted her a sickle like the one she'd wielded in the arena. The only difference was that it was made from Olympian steel, and it was attuned to her every wish. It could be summoned and dismissed at will, as any Olympian weapon could. 

Currently it sat in its sheath on the left side of the throne. On the right, a matching sheath held her scepter, carved from the smoothest, deepest platinum, like the stem of a massive rose, complete with a chunk of kunzite the size of her hand cut into the shape of the blossom. Those weren't even the most intricate pieces.

The chair itself seemed to be the perfect fusion of obsidian and wood, as compared to Hades' obsidian and platinum. The seat was stuffed with the most luxurious of padding, and there was no doubt that the pale blue silk had been handwoven by Hera herself. The legs of the chair seemed to spring up like trunks, where it was magically melded with the obsidian floors. The front legs twisted and coiled, where the wood was painted ivy green, and it was carved into her signature roses, with the petals gilded in the purest rose gold. 

The roses came up, winding, weaving, to form a column that supported each arm, and at the end of each arm was a skull. Their teeth were diamond, and their eyes were kunzite. The sides of the throne were carved into the theme of a meadow on the first day of spring, elegantly painted and carved so that each flower seemed frozen in time, but hidden within the beautiful pinks and purples and greens were the pale blue aconites and clusters of hemlock. 

The back of the chair swelled up in a polished arch of obsidian and wood. The edges again looked like rose branches intertwined, but the roses sprouted from the eyes of skulls. Again, their petals were gilded in rose gold, and kunzite stones formed the thorns. At the very peak of the arch, there was a rose gold sickle crossed with her scepter behind scales holding scrolls. Carved, ever glowing pink and pale blue, along the curve of the arches, staring where her right shoulder would rest and ending on her left was a phrase that made her shiver. 

**Από την άνοιξη έρχεται ο θάνατος. Αφήστε την βασιλεία της να είναι τόσο αιώνια όσο η κρίση της.**

"From Spring comes death. Let her reign be as eternal as her judgement." The masculine voice directly in her ear made Persephone jump, and she saw and felt the purple hands on her shoulder. 

Screaming, she spun, summoning her sickle. She swung, blindly, heart racing, only to find her blade blocked by a sword, and when the metal met, sparks flew. Ozone filled the air as the blade morphed, becoming a bolt of lightning, and Persephone immediately lowered her weapon. "Zeus, you scared the Tartarus out of me." Covered her chest. "You sounded like Apollo, and then your hands..."

"Ahhhh... right." The purple king's lightning bolt disappeared, and he smoothed his suit coat. "I forgot." He gave a shrug as if to say that was as much of an apology as she would get. "I see my more reclusive son likes you." Zeus whistled softly, his fingers trailing along the skulls. "I haven't seen anything this intricate since he redecorated Aphrodite's altar room at the Acrocorinth. His design-"

"Hades... Hades designed it. It's my wedding gift." Persephone shook her head free of the jitters his arrival had cause. "Um, he's in a performance review with Thanatos. I can-"

"I came to see you." Zeus chuckled, coming back around the throne. "Hmmmm why don't you come, sit. I want to see how resplendent the Dread Queen truly looks." Persephone didn't understand what he was playing at, but there was something familiar in his gaze, something in the feigned politeness, the faux flattery, that made her chest tight. She turned, lowering herself down, sitting upright and poised as she had seen Hera and Amphitrite do. 

Zeus half skipped down to the floor below the dais, and he gave a flourished bow before dropping to one knee. His hair covered his face. "How will thou judge me, oh Dread Queen." 

"Out of your mind, that's how. What do you want?" Persephone closed her fingers around her scepter, half contemplating making her diadem visible. Zeus' face lifted, and she again found herself uncertain as to the intent behind his violet eyes. Would there ever be a day when that nose, that smile, or that skin wouldn't make her feel like she was trapped in a nightmare. 

"To talk." He took the dais steps two at a time before falling unceremoniously onto Hades throne and twirling the bident in its sheath. "I had a rather _unpleasant_ morning, thanks to you." 

"Me?! Me?! I've been here all-"

"Your Mommy dearest interrupted office sex with my _wife_! Do you know how often I get to fuck my wife on my desk? Hmmm" 

"You could probably do it more often you could keep your PAs out from under it." Persephone snorted, then nearly covered her mouth in shock. She'd never spoken to anyone like that before, and she didn't understand why it had slipped out. There was just something about him, his movements, and his attitude that was poking her into what Hades called her bratty side. 

"Oh, now I see why he wants you. That saucy little snark of yours is hot! I mean, you look so sweet and pure, but I bet you are mmmm crazy behind closed doors." Persephone tightened her grip on her scepter. She swallowed, trying to think of a respectful retort but that would also be as defensive as possible. "Don't look at me like that. My brothers, and I have strict rules, wives are off limits unless they act first." 

"Well that's never gonna happen." She leaned back in her throne, propping one of her legs up on the seat but keeping the other down. she'd mastered the art of doing this so nothing showed years ago. "What did Mama want? Obviously she told you I ate pomegranate seeds." She rested her elbow on the arm, propping her chin in her palm, never releasing the scepter.

"She did. She wants me to order Hades to command you to return to her." Zeus snickered, as if the whole ordeal amused him to no end. "Everyone says I'm the biggest dramatist, Muses excluded, but you... you... you... Persephone, have outdone me. You _enslaved_ yourself to Hades to prevent Demeter from coming to me." He turned on the throne, leaning over so close his breath broke over her face in a wave of ambrosia, cigarettes, and appletini. "Is that why you're hiding in here? He's probably beyond pissed off. I reviewed the wedding and coronation vows, and I know what he did for you." 

"I'm not hiding. I was thinking." Persephone rolled her eyes and twirled her scepter in its sheath. The explanation that they'd nullified the power died on her tongue. Some instinct told her it wasn't the time to reveal it. "So, why come to me and not Hades? Are you going to give in? I'm sure she threatened you." 

"Of course she did." Zeus' breath broke again, sweeter this time, the appletini scent was lessened, but the smoke and ambrosia aromas were stronger. It made her think of Hades, of how she turned in their lunch in his office to a wonderful lovemaking session on his desk. She swallowed hard, hoping her cheeks didn't flush, as those purple eyes gleamed. "See, she thinks Hades fed you seeds before, that he ordered you to behave in such away, that there's no possible way you could love him." 

"She's wrong. I do love him. He never ordered me to eat them. He tried to stop me." Ozone sat heavy on her tongue, as Zeus' fingers reached out to still hers on her scepter. For a moment his face seemed to shift from purple to pale blue with scarlet irises. The smoke smell became stronger, making the world unfocused.

"I see why she wants to keep you. We haven't had a fertility goddess born in centuries, and you... hmmmm..." His fingers pulled hers from the scepter, raising them to his lips. "I think it's you who has my brother under your sway, Dread Queen." Persephone's spine tingled as he brushed his lips over her knuckles, but it felt familiar, almost like Hades, but separate. She closed her eyes, shaking her head, trying to focus. The last time her spine had tingled like that, Ares bad been 'juicing up' her emotions. 

"Stop! Stop that!" Persephone yanked her fingers back, shouting as she found Hades' lips centimeters from hers. "Stop it! Stop using your powers on me! I don't want you!" The air shifted and the Hades before her flickered back into Zeus. "Bastard. How _dare_ you!"

"You do love him!" Zeus barked out a laugh as he pushed himself up from the throne with a laugh. "I don't often get a chance to use my own fertility powers anymore, what with the way women throw themselves at me, and I've never used them on a fertility goddess." Persephone threw her hands up as he leaned in front of her, his hands on the arms of her throne. "Having to shift into someone's husband for it to work is a new one on me. I mean, I've done animals because some mortals just... that's irrelevant. I can do a perfect imitation of Hades, and still you resisted."

"I am not in the mood for your games, Zeus." Persephone shoved his shoulders away, sitting up straight, grabbing for her sickle. "How dare you? How dare you come into my kingdom, sit in my husband's throne, and try to seduce me-"

"Test... I was testing you." Zeus laughed, brushing his hair back with a grin or delight. "Do you know how many women and men have resisted my influence? Two, just two... Amphitrite and Hera." Anger boiled up inside of her, and Persephone shot to her feet. "See unlike Eros and Aphrodite, fertility gods and goddesses can't make anyone act against their will. We just... well... I'm sure you know. We're just nearly impossible to resist, unless someone truly loves someone else." 

"I'm calling-"

"Oh don't be such a baby." Zeus reached out to fluff the fringe over her eye with a finger. "Passing the test means I'm not going to use my authority over him and by extension you." He tossed his hair over his shoulder as he made his way down the steps. "It's time Demeter cut the umbilical cord on you anyways. She's gonna have to get over it."

"Wait!" Persephone felt his words' meaning burst to life inside of her, and her stomach turned. "You mean, you were considering forcing me to return." 

"If you didn't love my brother, yes." Without another word, Zeus was gone in a wafting of ozone. Persephone sank back onto her throne and covered her chest with a hand. She didn't feel well, almost hung over, like when Hades had gotten Ares to back off. She pulled out her phone, too shaky to risk shifting up to Hades office. As she typed, the lingering effects of Zeus' presence dissipated. Hitting send, she let her phone slip from her fingers and tried to keep the nausea from overwhelming her as her head pounded from exhaustion

Hades swallowed the yawn, as Thanatos droned on about how his lower count for the month was due to his worry over Minthe's disappearance. He was barely listening, having heard more excuses than he could count before, when his phone vibrated. He glanced over, and his throat tightened. 

**Little Goddess :-* : throne room**  
**Little Goddess :-*: feel bad**  
**Little Goddess :-* : need help**

"Double shifts for a month, and I'm docking your commision for every week except when you thought Minthe was missing." He snapped, before standing and stepping through the ether.

"Persephone!" He gasped when he saw her on her throne, shaking, clutching her chest, her phone on the floor. "Sweetness! What's wrong? Are you having a panic attack? Are you hurt?" He raced up to her, kneeling down to cup her face. It was then he noticed Zeus' cologne, thick and heady in the air. He didn't even have time to ask before Persephone lifted her face, and he could see the drain on her stamina. "What did Zeus do? I can smell his cologne." She shook her head, grabbing his wrists and sucking in deep breaths. "Did he touch you?"

"No... no.. he said he was testing me." Hades couldn't contain his growl of frustration. Zeus had attempted to seduce Amphitrite, soon after Poseidon proposed, declaring it was his job to make sure she was really Poseidon's destined queen. "He touched my hands and my shoulders, but... no, he didn't do anything else." 

"I'll speak with him." _I'll punch him in the face. Persephone isn't old enough to play these stupid games. Why doesn't anyone seem to remember that?!_ Hades tugged her down gently, letting Persephone fall into his arms. "Do you want to come to my office? I can get-"

"No, no. I'll be fine. I just need you to hold me." Hades kissed her brow, leaning back against her throne as she clung to him and hid her face in his beck. "He came because Mama threatened him. He didn't say what the threat was, but she wanted him to order you to order me to return." Her breaths were shaky, uneven, as she spoke, and Hades squeezed her softly. _Ever since the Panathenae, she's just dealt with bullshit after bullshit. Why can't everyone just let her be?_ "he said I passed his test, that I proved I loved you." She gave a tiny shiver.

"He used his fertility influence, didn't he? He tried to seduce you." She nodded twice, before pulling back to cup his cheeks. "And you resisted his allure?"

"Even after he changed into you." She whispered, brushing her hair back. "He said that's what proved it. 

"I'll punch him for you, sweetness. Is that what you want? I'll give him-" Persephone cut him off with a delicate press of her lips, and Hades' felt his anger take a back burner. "Come here, Sweetness." Hades turned her in his lap, so her legs could wrap around his hips and he could bend his knees to support her. Relaxing his weight against her throne, he held her softly and met her next kiss with a soft sigh. 

Hades lost himself in his wife's embrace, taking the lead when she eased her fingers into his hair. It was the first time in a few days that he felt no urgency behind the dance of their tongues or the soft, pull of her lips around his bottom one. She was making happy little hums, toying with his hair, and Hades smiled against her lips before stroking his palm down her back. "Do you have to go back up stairs?" She whispered, and Hades wondered why he didn't just take the day off. 

"Mmmhmmm, You're meeting with-"He paused to meet her for another, softer, teasing brush. "The team to pick a college location, in twenty." 

"Oh, forgot." She pulled back, and Hades opened his eyes to find she looked much better. "More to being queen than making out with my gorgeous husband all day, huh?"

"Sadly, but I'll tell you what." Hades squeezed her arms softly before kissing her again. "Tonight, when we get home, I'll run us a hot bath, with candles and chocolate and wine. Then we can make out until you're ready to sleep." 

"Mmmm see, that's why you're King. You have all the best ideas." Persephone giggled, as her phone rang. Hades pulled it out from under his thigh and handed it to her. "Basil? Yeah, um, I'll be out in just a minute." 

"Go make our kingdom better, and I'll go line our bank account. Hades teased, before nipping her lip playfully. "I'll see you at home." 

"Yeah." She unwound herself before standing, then leaned down to kiss his hair. "I love you, Aidoneus." 

"I love you too Kore. Now go." He swatted her butt softly as she turned, earning himself a giggle. As she hurried away, looking back twice, Hades felt his heart skip just like it had when he first saw her. 

Once she was out of sight, he stood, straightened his tie, stepped through the ether, and groaned when he found himself in Zeus' office. Hebe was on the sofa, sound asleep, holding a Cerberus stuffie, and Zeus was coming out of his executive ensuite buttoning his shirt. "Hades! What a -." 

Hades grabbed his collar and let his eyes glow red. "Use your fucking fertility powers on my wife again, and you'll be explaining to Bunny why your dick is in your colon." He shoved him back, as Zeus gaped at him in shock. Hades rarely got physical with his brother, having accepted that there was no getting him to calm down. "I don't give a flying fuck all if it was a test. She's off limits." With that, he stepped back and almost crashed into Hecate who was walking into his office. "I know. I'm late. Had to take care of brother drama."


	43. Chapter 43

Persephone stared out at the empty space before her, smoothing her skirt, and doing her best to keep her heels from sinking into the loose dirt and long dead grass and the sprawling meadow of white and gold expanse on the far side of the lifeless expanse, where the Asphodel's exist. Then she turned facing up towards the city, seeing the Underworld Corps. Towers, and admiring the sprawling skyline. Barely two blocks up is a series of subdivisions, and this patch of earth was like an island between two tides. "It's too far from the city. I don't like it. Ugh, where is he?"

"He won't be late." Mused Basil, and Persephone hummed. She reached up, adjusting her diadem. "Stop fussing, my Queen. You look immaculate." Less than a week and she had already grown fond of her driver. She'd given him leeway to speak freely and honestly, and he'd taken it. "Did King Hades warn you-"

"That Nikos is best realtor and site planner in three realms? Yep" She perked up as the sleek, red, sports car turned and began roaring down the empty stretch of road. "And that he and his architect brother, Andres, are assholes of the Nth degree." Basil coughed into his gloved hand, obviously covering a laugh. 

"Must I wait in the car, My Queen?" Basil's three eyes all danced in amusement. She flashed him a smile, earning herself a swift smoothing of the lapels of his chauffeur coat and a pleased expression. His humor, candor, and slightly unsettling appearance to others was the main reason she didn't drive herself places. As Queen, Hades had informed her, she did not need a license. 

The sports car rolled to a start, revving twice, before its roar went quiet. A man stepped out, nearly as tall as Hades, and brushed his shoulder length silver and white hair out of his face. He was gorgeous, looking no older than Hades' appeared, and his black suit, red shirt, and black tie made his blueberry colored skin nearly glow. His jaw was etched, shaved pristinely clean, and it framed his proud cheeks and nose perfectly. The red from his shirt and car reflected off his eyes silver, making them flash scarlet. The only man she'd ever seen more attractive than him was Hades.

Persephone began to chastise herself for even noticing, but remembered what Eros and Hera had told her. It was her nature, as a fertility goddess, and the knowledge prepared her to ignore his good looks and alluring cologne as he stepped in and gave a quick bow. "Queen Persephone, what a pleasure to meet you." _I guess I have a type. Who knew?_

"The pleasure is mine, Nikos." She extended her hand, making sure to take it back as soon as his lips brushed her knuckles. _Hades said he was an ass, but right now he's in charming mode._ Persephone stared up at the man, as he righted himself, and the arrogant gleam in his eye as he looked down irked her. This close, she found There was something about the shape of his eyes, nose, and ears that made her spine tingle in distaste. "So, this is the spot you think will be suitable for the university?" She looked back over the field. 

"Yes, It is the largest space." Nikos' lips pulled up in a self appreciative smirk, and Persephone could see he was definitely the kind of man who was used to getting his way. "I know that you're still new to all this, but like I told King Hades when he wanted to commission the new housing division, a slight increase in taxes for, say, seventy years should-" 

"Should what? Fund expanding public transportation out here?" Persephone snorted, turning to face him fully. 

"Why would we need public transportation? We would be constructing dorms, and of course the majority of students would be well financed by their families and -"

"Well financed? I don't think you're understanding my vision here." Persephone tossed her hair, shooting Basil an exasperated look. Basil was obviously trying hard not to laugh. The man was obviously as snobby as he appeared. A hint of gold made Persephone glance at his cufflinks, and she realized they were a lyre crossed with a treebranch. _Just great. He's one of Apollo's halfbreed children, part dryad, I'm guessing, ash or dogwood?_ While Apollo was a raging douchebag, it was well known that even his Demi-god mortal children were financed, educated, and set up in well to do positions. He was a misogynistic, rapist, bastard, but he was reputed for never making his kids go without. 

"I read the proposal sent by Hecate three times, Persephone." His smirk turned superior, beyond arrogant, as his tone took on an aire of superiority. "I've been on Underworld Corps. contract for seventy years because I'm the best-"

"Let me make something quite clear to you and your was twin brother Mr. Arkonis. I'm not my husband, and I'm not the kind of person to task someone to write you a check." Nikos' proud smirk twitched. "I may be young, and I may be relatively new at everything to do with the three realms, but I am _not_ the one you want to play with." She squared her shoulders, lifting her chin as she felt vines twirl around her diadem. "Why don't you ask your father what happens when someone thinks they can walk all over me." She lifted her lip into a sneer, letting her batlike fangs show. "And, you will refer to me as _**Queen**_ Persephone, Your Majesty, My Queen, or Dread Queen." 

Persephone stepped forward, so close that the tip of her diadem brushed his nose, forcing him back. Nikos' smug smile crumpled, and his fingers quivered. "My apologies, My Queen. I-"

"You're fired." She shoved past him, curling her arm through Basil's. "So is your brother." Once they reached the car, and Basil opened the door, she turned to look back. He had his phone in hand and was dialing furiously with a scowl. "Don't bother complaining to my husband. He won't override my decisions." She laughed when his thumb paused and he looked up at her. "You can also consider yours and your brother's contracts on any other pending projects here cancelled. In _my_ kingdom, we don't have room for people who think it's acceptable to treat someone less because of age or gender." She vanished her diadem before sliding into her seat. 

**I fired the Arkonis brothers. I'm also canceling any pending contracts they have with us. Will explain later. Love you.**

"Where to, My Queen?" Basil's voice was barely containing his amusement. Something had been tickling the back of her mind since she'd stepped out at that barren field. 

"I want to see the playgrounds and schools, the public and private schools. Can you take me on a tour of those?" She wasn't due anywhere for at least two hours, since he meeting with Andres was now going to be cancelled. 

"Certainly. In fact, my daughter attends Moirae Elementary, the one closest to Tower One." She leaned forward to rest her chin on the passenger seat and stare out the window. "Also, great job handling Nikos. I just wish I'd gotten him cowering on film." she glanced over at him, seeing him smile broadly. "Anastasia and I Iive a few doors down from him on Olympus, and he and his first wife treat us like trash, just because I'm a chauffeur. It doesn't matter than Hades made sure my salary is triple what drivers on Olympus make, or that my wife is one of Olympus' best city beautification specialists and meets with Queen Hera for lunch every Monday." 

"Oh! I thought you were hired when I became Queen." This was new to Persephone, and she had to resist the urge to climb in the front seat when they reached city traffic. 

"I've been on U corps. payroll for about twenty six years. Mostly I drive him or Lady Hecate when they have a bit too much to drink, between that it was my job to be on call for visiting members of other Pantheons or for trips to see them." Basil shrugged a shoulder, although he looked immensely proud to have been selected for the job. "When I worked for Zeus, it was by the hour, but Hades used me so often about twenty five years ago that he poached me and out me on salary. He says it wasn't fair to be hourly, but then expect me to show at a moment's notice."

"Well, I'm glad. You're sweet and fun to be around." She patted his shoulder, watching the buildings pass, admiring the lights in the dark sky. "Oh... this is." Persephone leaned back to roll down the window as he pulled to a stop. The elementary school, while well lit, looked very industrial. There were fake plants here and there along the side walks, but the fenced playground looked too dreary. "Are they all like this?" 

"Yes Ma'am, as are the public playgrounds." Basil's confirmed, easing slowly along the drop off lane so she could see it in full. "Are you having a new idea?" 

"I am... question." She rolled up the window, leaning back forward and humming. "If you live on Olympus, why does your daughter go to school here?" 

"She kept getting into arguments with some of the lesser dieties' half-bloods. It was stupid, really, then bullying her and her friends. She punched one of Terpsicore's daughters, when the brat destroyed her ballet shoes, so she got suspended." He chuckled, and Persephone giggled right along side of him. "After that, we transferred her here. My son will attend here too, when he's old enough." 

"What's your wife's number?" Persephone picked up her phone and settled back. She had no intention on poaching her from Hera, but she couldn't put a hold on this idea. "And, you Haven't had lunch. Let's stop for whatever you're hungry for before we had back to Tower One." She typed in the number Basil spouted off for a text message. 

**This is Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. Do you have a moment to chat on the phone?**

Persephone eagerly hit the answer button when the phone rang in response. "Hi, Anastasia, how are you." She flashed Basil a thumbs up sign as she saw him change lanes to head to a walk up pizza place. 

"Fantastic, Your Majesty. How are you?" Her voice was sweet, almost birdlike, and Persephone recognized the dryad lilt instantly. 

"Amazing, listen. I heard you're the top city beautification specialist on Olympus, and I'd never dream of poaching you from Hera." She didn't bother restraining her grin, as she felt a rush of purpose and independence surge through her. "I have a project here, and I need to know if there's anyone _you_ would recommend to hire in your area of expertise." 

"A few! Would you like me to email you a list of names, Your Majesty?" 

"I would. I'll text you my email. Also, please, call me Persephone." She turned her attention back to Basil, who was parking. "I have to go now. I look forward to hearing from you!" 

"Likewise." She ended the call, dropping her phone in her purse. "Your wife is so nice!" She complimented Basil as he extended his hand to help her out. 

Back at Tower One, Hades stared at the mid-conversion room that had once been the executive conference room. He closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath at how the new lights brought warmth of a spring noon to the space. "Absolutely perfect." His phone vibrated, as he opened his eyes to head over to the designer's assistant. 

**Little Goddess :-* : I fired the Arkonis brothers. I'm also canceling any pending contracts they have with us. Will explain later. Love you.**

**Love you too, Sweetness. I'm sure it was for a good reason.**

"Are these the wood samples for her desk?" He ran his fingers over the top piece.

"Yes, Sir. I think the cedar would go best with the overall aesthetic. I know Ms.-"

Hades plucked the pale, red sample up, hefting its weight, sniffing the unvarnished side. "Mmmm Scicilian?" The satyr nodded with an audible swallow. "Ethically sourced, I'n presuming. My Queen won't want anything from a dryad grove or forest." 

"Yes, Mrs. Galina specified that in her requirements. Everything will be ethically sourced, including the soil." Hades handed it back to him and nodded. "We'll use the same wood for the accent tables, coffee table, and grow boxes as well." 

"Fantastic. Also, I want the ensuite floors done in this as well, I think it will bring out the ensuite colors better than the black tile." His cell phone rang again, a transfer from Galina's desk. 

"Hades." He answered sharply, walking over to examine the material samples for the seating.

"Your Majesty, this is Andres Arkonis." Hades snorted out loud, as he held up a piece of purple cloth, waved it at the assistant, then shook his head and crinkled his nose. "My brother just called me to saying Persephone fired us and cancelled pending contracts." 

"And you want me to override her decision?" Hades drew a breath and picked up a gorgeous, cream colored material that was going to blend wonderfully with the rest of the aesthetic. 

"Well, yes, Your-" 

"First, that is **_Queen_** Persephone to you." Hades walked the sample over to the assist and handed it to him. "Let me hear it." 

"Queen Persephone." Hades could almost hear the exasperation in his voice. 

"Second, if she fired you both, then I back her decision." He moved over to the metal samples for the bathroom fixtures and toyed with a burnished nickel one. "Judging by the way you left off her title and are trying to undermine her authority, I'm assuming your brother probably disrespected her." He moved on to a a bronze design, hefting it up. "The corporation contracted you, despite your parentage, because you're the best. However, being the best doesn't mean shit to me. You've always been respectful to myself and Hecate, but now I'm betting if I look into it, I'll find you were disrespectful to my citizens and employees." 

"Your, your, King Hades-" the way the man was stuttering left no room for doubt for Hades. 

"Mmmmhmmmm that's what I thought. Now, whether or not you'll be allowed to continue to finish the jobs you are currently on will be up for decision once the Queen and I talk." Hades felt an indescribable thrill at saying that line. _My Queen, my partner._ "See, I guess you missed the interview. I specifically said that Persephone's authority is equal to mine. I don't want to hear another word about it." He ended the call, as his attention landed on a sink faucet that looked like a glass slope with a metal handle. "This will come out like a waterfall?" He queried.

"Yes sir."

Hades set it aside. "This, as well as the rainstorm style shower head." He reached over to set it aside as well. Looking down at his phone, it was almost two. He was still pretty full from breakfast though. "Anything else?" 

"No sir."

Hades headed back out. "Thanks for adding that all the wood should not be taken from dryad trees." He praised his assistant who was in the middle of answering an email. 

"No problem. Are you ready for lun-"

Hades' phone blared The Supreme Three chat tone, cutting her off. He looked down, groaning internally. 

**King Top: CODE RED! CODE RED!**

"No lunch. I need to go!" He didn't even have time to grab his coat from his office, choosing to step through to where Zeus' power was radiating. He raised his eyebrow as he found himself on the back lawn. "Mmmkay. I'm here. What's the code red?" He asked, finding nobody until Zeus dashed past him. 

"Shit! Shit! Help!" 

"Fucking move!" Came Ares' bellow, but Hades didn't have time to respond. He cried out as his nephew plowed into him in full primal form, and he hit the dirt. Ares was up in a flash, shoes bruising his face. 

"Sorry Hades!" Hera gasped, sprinting past him. 

"S'okay." He pushed himself up, sighing in disbelief as he realized it was family drama and not war or something. 

"You never get called out, and it's complete bullshit!" Ares shouted, and Hades lifted his head in time to see Hera jump on Ares. 

"Ares, stop it!" She sobbed, and Hades scrambled to his feet as he saw Ares' reflexes kick in. 

Hades was almost there where Ares' elbow collided with Hera's face, and the golden queen collapsed to the grass. "Hera!" He shouted, skidding to a stop beside her. He knelt down, touching her shoulder softly, feeling his stomach twist in pain at the way she was shaking.

"Ma!" 

"Hera!"

"Look what you did-" Hades blocked out the squabbling. 

"Bunny... Bunny, let me see." He brushed her hair back, only for her to elbow him roughly away and cover her face. He backed off, giving her space, as Aphrodite came to a halt nearby, phone out, and it didn't take Hades long to figure out what happened. 

"Would you two shut up!" Hades bellowed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. 

"Everybody." Hades turned to Hera, wincing as she stood slowly, her stunning face already bruised. She summoned one of her herbal cigarettes and ignited it. "You need to go."

"You heard her-" Hades again ignored his brother as he saw Hera's rage building. 

"You _All_ need to go."

"But Bunny-" Zeus began.

"Get out of my sight!" She seethed. "All of you." She spun on her heel, heeding to the mansion. "Bye!"

"Sheesh. She's pretty burnt up." Hades jerked as Poseidon appeared. Rubbing his swelling eye, he pulled out his phone to text Persephone.

"Some help you are-"

**Zeus and Ares just had huge fight, like physical. Hera's kicked Zeus out, probably for the night. Will call in a bit.**

"You probably need to lay low for a while." He sighed, knowing full well that probably meant at his house. He wasn't sure Persephone would be up for it, after that morning. Zeus nodded twice, sighing. 

"Let me call-" He was cut off as Zeus pulled them both into a huddle. He knew that expression, and he began forming his rebuttal.

"We need to blow off some steam."

"We...what is we? I have a wife waiting-" Hades groaned inside, as Zeus and Poseidon gave him _That_ look. "I hate you both." There was no getting out of it when Zeus wore that expression. _Persephone is going to make me sleep on the couch_ He mentally sighed. 

Persephone had been a little miffed when Hades didn't make it home, but after checking on Hera and talking to Amphitrite, she felt a bit better. It wasn't uncommon for Zeus to drag the brothers to the mortal realm against their will. Hades would be home later.

The golden queen's injuries had been tended to by Apollo, at Athena's orders. The silver goddess had taken her younger sisters for the night when they left, so Persephone had stayed on the phone with her as they watched some show Hera liked and listened to her sister in law kill two bottles. Then she'd taken the pack out to play, before curling up in the massive bed with a sketch pad and colored pencils. 

She wasn't even aware she'd fallen asleep until she felt something warm and fuzzy against her face, and a tiny tongue lapping against her nose. "Cordon?" She mumbled, lifting her head, drowsily wondering why the aloof pup would be so affectionate, even if he'd fallen asleep on her feet. 

A soft whine made her open her eyes, and the absolutely adorable brown eyes and long ears covered in curly fur. It took her a fuzzy moment to realize it was a totally unfamiliar face. "Ohmygods PUPPY!" She squealed, scooping her up as she scrambled to her knees. 

"I wish I got that greeting!" Hades' laugh made her look over. He was in his pajama bottoms, and had just finished stacking her sketchbook and pencils on his desk. "Persephone meet your new baby, Pomelia." The little girl gave a happy whine, licking Persephone all over. "Found her caged in the mortal realm. I thought that was no place for such a pretty princess." 

"Oh, Aidoneus. I love her." She kissed his cheek sweetly when he collapsed next to her on his side and smiled sleepily. The soft scent of mortal wine was on his breath, and she noticed his eye was bruised and swollen. "Your eye!" 

"Ares." Hades huffed, shrugging. She reached out to touch it, while cradling her sweet girl to her chest. "Had worse, Sweetness. Can't even feel it.

"I know but still-" She felt her love for him swell in pain at the idea he was hurting. She squealed when he pulled her down into his chest, yawning and kissing her softly on the brow. 

"Mmmm but still nothing. I'm exhausted, so why don't you two come snuggle with me huh?" She released her grip on Pomelia, letting the tiny ball of love lick both of their faces before curling up between their heads on the pillow. "Make sure you put on clothes before you go downstairs. Poseidon and Zeus are here."

"Bedroom door locked?" She found herself yawn in response, as the lingering anxiety faded to bliss in his arms. She was still pissed at Zeus, but as long as he respected the locked door, she'd tolerate him downstairs. He nodded with a hum, his lips brushing hers softly. "You still owed me a romantic evening." She reminded him, chuckling under her breath as he grew still. Three heart beats later, his arms and legs grew limp, and he gave a soft snore, which Pomelia mimicked even quieter. She couldn't think of a time she'd felt more at peace, and her dreams were of snowfall on a field of flowers while she chased after her new puppy.


	44. Chapter 44

Persephone pushed herself up as tiny paws scratched at her chest. She blinked one eye, find Pomelia whimpering. "'S matter sweetpea?" She murmured, glancing over at Hades who had his head buried under a pillow, completely dead to the world. She squinted at the clock, finding it was a little after five in the morning. Normally Hades was up, but she was not about to bother him when he was sleeping so soundly. "Have to potty?" 

She slid out of bed, setting Pomelia down, and remembered belatedly to grab something besides her underwear, and slipped on Hades' discarded sweater from the morning before, a pair of her own slippers, and opened the door. The whole pack was waiting by the stairs, whining softly. "Shhhhhh don't wake Daddy." 

Picking up Pomelia, when Cerberus sniffed her and sent her cowering, she led all eight downstairs. The television was on low volume, playing some yoga program infomercial, and she paused to turn it off. Then she saw Zeus sprawled out on the sofa. He'd kicked his blanket off sometime in the night, and he was shivering lightly. "Be nice." She whispered to the pack, as she set Pomelia down to pull the blanket over him. 

"Time's it, Hera?" His hand closed over hers lightly.

"Five." She whispered, easing her fingers away. 

"More sleep." He breathed, gripping her fingers. "Mmmm come cuddle, Bunny. Love you." On instinct, She grabbed a decorative pillow and slid it between his arms. Almost instantly, the sleeping King was rolling over to face the back of the couch. 

"What the Fates did they get into last night?" She shook her head. As mad as she wanted to be at Zeus, she found it slightly more forgivable that in his sleep he assumed any woman touching him was Hera. _Must go over so well with his girlfriends._

She led the pups through to the kitchen, opening the side door. It was snowing lightly, so she eased Pomelia out onto the grass. Cerberus came over again, snuffling lightly. When Pomelia whined, the Guardian rolled over onto his back and licked under her neck. In an instant, the little princess was on his trail like a baby duck. 

Satisfied, she turned around, and crashed into something tall, hot, damp, and solid. She screamed, only to have a hand slap over her mouth and green eyes bore into hers. Poseidon looked slightly panicked. "Shhhhh Zeus is a total dick when woken up this early by anyone but Hera." She sucked in a breath, as he stepped back. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you, Sephie. I felt a draft. Thought dogs got out."

"It's okay." Instinctively, she tensed up, expecting him to behave as Zeus had when they were alone. To her surprise, he tapped her nose with a sleepy grin and headed for the cabinets. "Did you just call me Sephie?" She asked softly, following him. 

"Yep... Trite said you mentioned you don't like Persie." He was pulling a bowl down, along with flour. "Perse makes me think of a purse. Pinkie seems demeaning, snd my nickname is already P. You've got that flower thing, so Petal seems an optimal nickname." His yawned rambling was pleasant, so she got the eggs out of him. 

"I like Petal. Hades calls me Little Goddess..." Poseidon took the eggs, flashing her a roguish grin. "What? What's the look?" 

"I'm not calling you any petnames Hades uses that sound remotely intimate, unless he invites me for a threesome. Which Trite and I have already acknowledged is not on the table." Persephone felt her cheeks flush, but Poseidon's demeanor was playful and teasing, not predatory and intimidating. "I mean, I know Hades and Zeus both call Hera Bunny. Notice I don't, there's a reason." He waved a spatula, and Persephone covered her mouth. "I haven't played in that garden." 

_Oh shit.... oh... I knew it. Hades and Hera used to be a thing_ Persephone wasn't upset. She knew Hera would never cheat on her husband, so any sexual relationship had to be before she married Zeus. She also knew that Hades wouldn't betray his brothers. _But, he did have that coat..._ She shoved her thoughts aside. "You can call me Sephie or Petal or Persephone. Just not Kore and not Persie." She patted his back, as the pups came inside. "Pancakes, right, or should I get the waffle maker?" She had to admit that there was no unease being around Poseidon. Though she knew he had exponentially more partners than Zeus, his presence was similar to Eros', friendly and fraternal. She could also see in his eyes, that the almost ditzy way he normally acted was somewhat of a facade. 

"Pancakes." The green king grinned, and Persephone began lining up the dogs' food bowls. Pomelia seemed to have attached herself to Cerberus, by somehow hitching a ride on his back. "If mortals even suspected what a total fluff ball he is, everyone would be breaking in." Poseidon cracked two raw eggs into Cerberus' bowl, making up her mind that he was now her favorite brother in law.

"Agreed." Persephone plucked Pomelia up and set her on the counter with her own bowl. She was reaching for Cerberus' mix of murder's soul and cow liver, when she saw Posiedon grab the bacon. "No bacon for me!" She said softly, unsure whether asking him to make her pancakes before he cooked the bacon was rude. "I'll, um-"

"I already have your pancakes cooking. Cinnamon and brown sugar, no bacon grease." He smiled, gesturing to the stove. "Hades said you're vegetarian." He pulled out a separate pan and began frying three slices of bacon. 

A comfortable silence fell on the room, as she finished passing out food to her babies and moved to fidgeting with Hades' coffee machine. She'd finally mastered using it, but hoped it would be up to three different royal tastes buds. No sooner was it brewing than she turned to find Poseidon holding out a plate with a pancakes made into flowers with strawberry syrup as the petals, whip cream as the center, and regular syrup in the middle of the petals. "Oooooh, P, I love it." 

"Good. I had heard you were hard to impress, obviously Zeus was lying." She snorted when he tapped her on the nose with what was obviously the whip cream spoon. "Wanna hear a funny story about Hades?" 

"Pfffft yeah!" Persephone set her plate down to move Pomelia to the floor, then she grabbed herself a glass and poured some juice. With an effort, she hopped up to sit on the counter, plate in hand, to watch as Poseidon smirked mischievously. 

"Okay, so, the morning after the Panathenae, we were all out at brunch." Persephone perked up, shoving a bit of food into her mouth. "Eros had blabbed to Zeus about sticking you in Hades' car, so we were trying to get him to admit he liked you." 

"Oh?" She took another bite, amazed at how delicious they were. "These are amazing." 

"I know." Poseidon beamed before continuing. "So, he just kept avoiding the subject, saying you're nice looking. Then, I jokingly said I was in the market for a second wife, and I asked if he knew if you were available." Persephone almost choked on her food before Poseidon laughed and flipped a pancake that looked suspiciously like a kitten. "He damn near ripped my head off while shouting 'stay away from her, you complete piece of shit!" She nearly spit her food out when she nailed his angry voice perfectly. "That's when I knew he'd end up marrying you." 

"You knew then huh?" she took another bite, watching happily as Pom seemed to have permanently attached herself to Cerberus' right leg. Poseidon flashed her a conspiratorial wink as he plated the kitten pancake and began adding more mix to the pan. "Eros, Hera, and Trite told me how you stood against Apollo when he was accusing Hades. Thanks, for doing it." 

"Hey, Hades may be many things, but a rapist and kidnapper aren't any of them." Persephone leaned carefully over the stove to drop a soft kiss to his cheek. This close, he smelled like the purest ocean breeze, slightly chloric from the pool, and with an herbish spicy salty scent she couldn't place. 

"You smell really good." She offered, pulling back. 

"Thanks, Sephie, So do you." He brushed his hair back before scooping bacon onto a napkin and adding more. "Can I give you some advice, as a king to a queen?" She nodded softly, finding herself surprised at how easy he was to get along with. It was almost like talking to Hermes or Eros, and she wondered why he so often carried the aire of being a drunken dudebro instead of the side she was seeing now. "Don't take shit from anyone, even one of the Six. Mercy begets mercy, but mercy does not mean be a doormat. You're a powerful goddess, and you're a queen. Own it."

"I sorta did.... um." Persephone shoved he final bite into her mouth. "Sorta yelled at Mama-"

"I heard." Poseidon snorted, as she slid down to get rid of her plate. "I called her on her shit when I found out, too." She snapped around, heart jumping into her throat at the edge to his voice. "One, Hades was a fucking child, or the equivalent to one. He's tried to apologize for like two thousand years, but she won't have it." He twirled the spatula in the air, and the water in the dogs, bowls began to form waves. "Two, trying to use Zeus to force you home against your will is fucking bullshit!"

"P, calm down." She touched his arm softly, and his posture relaxed. "He told me. Well, part of it." She gestured at the next batch of pancake that was starting to burn. "And, Mama just.... she.... she's Mama." Persephone didn't want to point a word or title or name to all the bad feelings her mother had boiled in her gut. Poseidon's expression softened some, before he reached over to tap her nose again. 

She retrieved a coffee cup with two topless mermaids playing some sort of ball game from the cupboard. "Yup." He chuckled, and she poured him a cup of coffee. "Black, thanks." She carried it over to him, setting it down where he wouldn't knock it off.

"I'm glad you're my brother now." Persephone mused, wrapping an arm around him for a half hug. Persephone was beyond pleased when he gave her a half hug back and tickled her side. 

"Me too, Sephie. Me too." The hug ended swiftly, and she again appreciated the way he wasn't being flirty or aggressive like Zeus or Ares sometimes were. "Now, go drag that blue brother of mine out of bed while I eat." 

"Be down in a bit!" Confident the pups were playing nicely, Persephone skirted the edges of the living room and bolted for the stairs. She eased open the door, squinting in the dim light from the city beyond the windows at her love. He was still buried under his pillow, back rising and falling evenly. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so peaceful. 

She climbed back into the bed, touching his back gently. It was a rare experience for her to get to wake him up without a nightmare involved, and she wanted to savor it. The scars on his back weren't as raised as the ones on his front, and Persephone wondered how she'd never noticed before. Softly, she pressed her lips to one, then moved to the next, pushing the blanket down with her other hand slowly. At first, there was no effect, then she noticed his breathing began to change. 

Hades felt the soft warmth on his skin luring him upward from dreamless black. It was a slow pull, ever so pleasant, like caresses of soft, spring wind. The dark became infused with glows of pink and pale blue, as the pressing touches continued. _Pink, flowers, pink goddesses, my goddess._ the words came in his mind fleetingly, as he tried to shift his body for more of the sensations. _My wife. Pink wife, mmmm Persephone._ he reached over, seeking her body, but she wasn't there. 

He opened his eyes, blinking at the dark, vaguely aware the smell of her existence was mixed with bacon and pancakes and fruit. "Sweetness." He murmured, lifting his head, confused by the soft weight sliding off him, as her empty spot swam into focus in the dark. 

"Time to wake up." Her voice was so light, inviting, and soft. Hades rolled back onto his side, finding Persephone's hand, and pulling her down. He closed his eyes as soon as her cheek was on his arm, and curled himself around her. "Oh, is someone feeling extra snuggly?" 

"Maybe." He yawned, kissing her hair, savoring the feeling of her in his arms. Her lips pressed into his jaw, and he squeezed her tighter. Then her teeth grazed his neck, tongue following after with a delicate graze, and his sleep hardened cock twitched. "Mmm, Little Goddess, do I need to take you to the shower?" He opened one eye now, as her lips traveled lower. "Kore..." Hades relaxed his grip when her delicate fingers dipped down to his pajama shorts. 

"No shower." Her voice was sweet, tempting, and playful, and it made his sleep hazed mind swirl. Her warm fingers undid the button of his bottoms, and she giggled into his chest when Hades groaned softly. "Roll over, let me wake you up." She pushed him softly, and he let her. Hades barely had time to comprehend her lips hd left the taste of syrup and strawberries on his own before she was swirling her tongue along his navel. "Mmmm all for me?" 

"Y-y-y-yes!" Hades couldn't keep his eyes open when she freed his hard erection and tightened her hand around it. "Little goddess, you don't have-Fuck!" Her hot tongue had laved a slow path along the underside of his shaft, making his spine tingle in pleasure.

"I know I don't _have_ to, Aidoneus. I _want_ to." Her tongue circled the tip of him teasingly, making his left leg twitch. Hades managed a brief look down, finding her eyes glowing a pink dawn over a meadow in the dark. "Let me pleasure you for a change, Your Majesty." Before he could respond, Persephone had taken him into her mouth with a groan. 

Hades cried out, slipping his hand in her hair, gripping the ponytail he found lightly. Her sinful mouth was tight, hot, and wet as it encased him. The noises she was making, approving, hungry, eager hums and mewls, were just as delicious as her actions. "Yes! Yes! Like that!" Persephone had given him a deliberate suck while curving her tongue around him. He bucked up on reflex, breath catching. To his ecstasy, she plunged right back down and did it again. "Oh, Sweetness! Fuck! Your mouth is so good!" 

"Mmmmm." She hummed, the sensation making his balls clench. Then, Fates save him, his minx of a wife gave two short bobs of her head before taking him to the hilt with a swallow. Hades cried out, wordlessly, forcing himself not to thrust deeper. She groaned, as her teeth met his skin with the perfect pressure. The combined vibration and tension made him growl. Then, she was dragging her teeth lightly up his length, tongue tight, simultaneously sucking. 

"Oh!! Fuck! Yes! Yes, Kore!" Her fingers encircled his base as her other hand cupped his balls. Hades lost all thought in the dim room except feeling her. The intoxicating scent of honey suckle and a clear, forest spring filled the air, making him feel almost drunk. _Is she... this is turning her on._ Persephone giggled placing a kiss to his tip, before she took him to her fingers again. "DON'T STOP!" He pleaded, tossing his head back in the sheet. He'd never been so close so fast, and he was unable to hold himself back. 

"Come for me... come down my throat, _Daddy._ Let me taste you." She breathed, before tightening her lips and fingers, giving deliberate, sloppy, wet sucks as she stroked him with tight, circular pumps. Hades felt the coil tighten low in his body, his thighs clenching, heart pounding, as she massaged his balls and made desperate, pleading sounds that only increased the pleasure of her mouth. 

"Close... close... Don't you dare fucking stop, Little Goddess! Don't you dare stop!" He gripped her hair, bending his knees, trying hard to fight the eruption building deep in his core. He looked down, and the sight of his wife's face lost in pleasure and her perfect lips sliding along his cock was all he could take. "Kore!" He roared bucking up into her as the coil snapped. 

He felt himself pulse, an ocean roaring in his ears, stars exploding over his eyes, as his released surged into her mouth. Persephone gave a delighted squeal, and, as his second pulse rocked through him, he lost coherent thought. She had taken him to the hilt and he could feel himself emptying his pleasure into her throat. "Persephone!" He jerked his hips, the sensation too much to resist, grunting in primal satisfaction at the glory of his wife's talent. 

He shivered, sucking in a ragged breath, when she slipped her lips up, giving happy noises as she licked what strings of his release were still dripping down his skin. "Come here you wicked thing." Hades huffed, tugging her hair upwards, seeking her lips blindly. 

"Mmmm, good morning." Persephone's voice was low and playful, and Hades grinned breathlessly against her wet lips. Her tongue teased his, and he let her have the lead. 

"It's always a good morning with you, Little Goddess. This is a fucking fantastic morning." Hades finally managed to force his eyes open, and his eyes made sense of why his fingers weren't on her bare skin. His pleasure and sleep addled brain was just catching up. "Mmmm why are you dressed? Why do you smell like bacon and syrup?" 

"Pups needed out." His queen was straddling his waist, looking ridiculously innocent and absolutely tempting all at once. " And Poseidon made me breakfast." Hades felt himself jerk fully alert now. He'd forgotten about his impromptu sleepover, and he pushed himself up on his elbows. "He said to come wake you up, so you can eat." 

"My brothers are still here?" She nodded. "And you just gave me a blowjob that almost sent me to Elysium permanently?" Persephone giggled wildly, nodding so hard her pony tail almost came loose. She covered her grin with her hands, his sweater adorably too large on her frame. "And I was loud." The cuff of his sweater was caught between her teeth as her nose wrinkled up in a smug snicker. "You little brat!" 

"Aidoneus!" Persephone squealed when he surged up and nipped the tip of her nose with a soft bite. "Like you didn't enjoy it." 

"Oh, I fucking loved it." Hades rearranged himself, buttoning his bottoms, making sure to give her clit a firm stroke through her clothes as he did. "You're still a brat though." Without waiting for a response. He scooped her into his arms, bridal style, and stood. 

"Put me down!" She laughed, as he started across the room. Hades smirked down at her, before kissing her cheek. He opened the door, popping her thigh playfully when she started wiggling. 

"Nope. I've had to put up with them being all mushy lovey with their wives in the mornings for millennia. It's my turn." He carried her effortlessly down the stairs, noting the empty sofa and blankets, as he followed the sounds of forks on plates to the kitchen. "Good Morning assholes." He beamed, kissing his wife who was now hiding her face in his neck and turning as bright as a pomegranate. He eased her onto the counter, picking up his coffee mug that read World's Best Dog Dad from where Poseidon or Persephone had filled it. 

"Sure sounds like it was." Poseidon snickered, and Hades beamed when Persephone looped her arms over his shoulders and pulled him back to lean between the gap in her knees. Her lips pressed into his neck, as her chin fell to his shoulder. Zeus' only response was to make a rude gesture with one hand, as he poured more syrup than should be legal on a pancake. 

"Oh how the mighty have fallen." Persephone whispered almost inaudibly in his ear, and Hades almost gagged on his coffee. "Now, hurry up and eat, and we may have time for a shower quickie before my meeting." Hades was about to ask what meeting, but Poseidon was waving a plate of bacon and pancakes in his face. He wasn't about to turn down his brother's cooking or round two.


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chap  
> Sorry  
> Stuff going on!

"So, you and Hera used to be a thing?" Hades nearly walked into the back of his car at Persephone's amused question. She was opening the back door to let the pups destined for day care in the back seat. "Yup.... I know." She gave a sweet giggle, and Hades exhaled in relief _Who told her? At least she doesn't seem pissed off over it._

"Yes, we were.... um... but we stopped having intercourse when she married Zeus." He straightened his tie, feeling his cheeks flush as he slid into the driver seat. 

"Just stopped intercourse?" Persephone was buckling her seatbelt, which never ceased to amuse him, and she was watching him with a teasing smile. "Oh, don't be shy, Aidoneus. As long as you aren't still involved-"

"No! No! Gaia save me! No... we... well... in the eighties, We agreed to end all physical and emotional aspects." Hades started the car, but her utter nonchalance about it was driving him spare. "Where did this come from? I mean, why bring this up now? I just gave you four orgasms in the shower, and you want to talk about the fact that my younger brother's wife used to suck my dick when she needed to feel better about-" he slapped his hand over his mouth. "Who told you?"

"Poseidon, and don't you dare be mad at him. He only used it as an example for why he doesn't call me nicknames you use." Her kunzite eyes seemed to glow in the radio lights. "Was she your first? I mean... there wasn't a lot of options, like-" 

"Yes, Hera was my first for everything." 

"Why do you call her Zeus' petname for her-"

"I started that petname, and he stole it." Hades huffed, easing out of the garage. "I don't think he ever realized it was... a romantic term." Hades tried to quell his irritation at the subject, because he knew these were things they would have discussed had they actually dated. _Now that I have my queen, the past doesn't matter. Still, I owe her the truth._ "i will be honest with you, Kore. The day Minthe and I broke up, before she invited you to dinner, she did kiss me." Her sharp breath made him clench the wheel and narrowly avoid rear ending someone. "And I told her we couldn't anymore." 

"Thank you for being honest." Hades felt his irritation ebb as Persephone rested her hand on his thigh and leaned across the center console to rest her head on his arm. "Aren't you curious as to who my first kiss was?" He blanched, feeling his stomach tighten. Somehow, he'd just assumed it had been Apollo. 

"I thought... well..." He eased his hand from the wheel to rest on her bare knee. She'd gone for a striking navy dress that came to a halt exactly three inches above her knees, had a slit up the back that was definitely going to impeded her work in the library, and was damn near painted to her skin. A gold belt hugged her narrow waist, which only made her supple breasts, which were already teasing out of the the sweetheart neckline, appear larger. She'd put on a gold chain with a rich sapphire teardrop, matching earrings, and a bracelet. Her shoes were gold as well, with navy blue straps across her ankles. The sweeping updo of her hair, held in place by a gold comb and her diadem, made her look sharper than usual, though not older. 

"Oh... no. It wasn't Apollo." Hades would forever marvel at the strength she showed by saying his name. He still had difficulty saying his father's name, but Persephone, she grew stronger every day. "Ares. My first kiss was Ares, about a year before I came to Olympus." He wasn't expecting that, and the thought of his nephew with his fingers on her made him see red. "Don't worry, he wasn't rude or pushy." 

"I don't care. He probably-"

"It was before I knew you, and no, we haven't talked about it since it happened." Hades squeezed her knee, doing his best to keep his cool. Ares wasn't exactly the best person she could have picked, but even the thought of Eros or Hermes made him want to boil. A flicker of honeysuckle came across the short space, making Hades growl instinctively. "What?"

"Nothing." Hades clenched his jaw. He knew, with Persephone being a fertility goddess, it was only a matter of time before her repressed powers began to fully show. His mind had blatantly ignored it, but now, she was getting hot and bothered over talking about a kiss. Her hand drifted higher on his thigh, making his traitorous cock twitch. 

"Fuck you look so sexy like this." His cock surged to full attention at the filthy word. "Whoops, five." Luckily they were at a redlight, and he turned his head to find his wife was practically on the center console, face glowing with desire. _It's not Ares she's thinking of. It's me!_ "I'm yours and only yours, so the jealousy isn't necessary." The light flashed to green, and Hades shot forward. 

"Go check the dogs in." Hades grimaced, trying to will his body into behavior as he parked. Her fingers ghosted over the erection, before she was out the door and walking up to the daycare. "Fuck!" He groaned, shifting himself. The smell of her need was now heavy in the car, and it was taking every ounce of willpower to talk himself out of finding an empty parking lot and making them late for work. _Wait, Persephone isn't scheduled until tomorrow afternoon. Why is she-_ His thoughts were interrupted when she slid back into her seat. 

Gone was her teasing demeanor, though her arousal was still there. It was swiftly fading, as he began driving again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just... I can't seem to calm down. Since I woke you up, I-"

"Sweetness, I am so not mad at you." He took her hand in his, pulling it to his lips. "Your fertility powers are probably coming to peak. After being repressed for years, I'm surprised you haven't locked me in the bedroom." Hades didn't want to think what this meant so early in their marriage. She was young, recently sexually liberated, and he had to admit that he was insecure about how many men, and some women, would be trying to tempt her. 

"I want to." Persephone was squeezing his fingers softly. "I know what it means if they are. Eros told me, and I need you to know I'm yours. I'm never going to cheat." She fiddled with his cufflink, and Hades looked over as waited for the next light. "My cycle ended two days early. I'm assuming that's due to the fertility aspect." 

"Probably." Hades pulled her fingers up to his lips again. "Ended early, well, We do have an half an hour before my first meeting." He wasted no time jerking into the carpool lane, putting the accelerator to the floor. Persephone squealed. "Panties off, now!" He barely registered her hiking her dress up, as he focused on cutting across the intersection at a yellow light, turning into Tower One, and practically drifting into the parking garage instead of the front, and he whipped into his reserved spot there.

"Hades!" Persephone gasped when her husband laid his seat back and had his pants undone and pushed to his knees before she could get her seat belt fully unfastened. The sight of him hard, already dripping silver for her, made her entire body quake in need. She scrambled over the console, straddling him on the seat, kissing him desperately. 

Hades fingers on her hips guided her, and keened into his parted lips when she sank down onto him. It was a slow, continuous morion, that made her entire body hum in approval. "Need this Higher." He shoved her dress up fully over her hips, so her bare thighs and butt were exposed to the heat coming from the vents. _That gods I didn't wear stockings today._ No sooner was she fully seated on him, ready to rise up to set her rhythm, than his glove covered palm collide with her flesh. 

"One!" She mewled, the sensation of the sting and her upwards motion made her mind spin. His other hand was on her clit, the leather of his driving gloves giving a new sensation that made her toes curl in her shoes. Another smack came down, as she took him deep again. "Two!" Persephone fisted his collar in her fingers, whimpering when his teeth pulled at her lips with a growl. "Three." She tried to ride him, to keep her motions smooth and quick, but she was overwhelmed by his touch and her punishments. "Four! Five!" The last two smacks came in quick succession, then he was massaging her flesh, thumb never ceasing on the sensitive bud at her apex. 

"Good girl. Little Goddess, you're so wet for your King. Fuck me. Show me you're all mine." Persephone didn't need much more encouragement. She was already so close, despite her back to back orgasms less than two hours before. There was just something about her husband today that made her unable to keep herself in check. 

So she rode him fast, unable to slide more than half of him out in each thrust. His lips were starving against here, and his fingers were leaving marks on her thighs and hips. She didn't care. The coil inside of her, fueled by the electric fire his thumb and girth were pouring into her, was already growing tight. "I'm so close." She whimpered, her breaths too ragged to make much more noise. "Please don't stop. Please, I want to come with you inside of me."

"Yes. Come for me. Give it to me, Sweetness. You know I love it." Hades groan was like a spark, and she exploded without warning. "Fuck! Fuck!" His shout reached her ears over the roar of her pulse, but she didn't understand the reason he had yanked her down hard, making stars of ecstasy supernova across her vision, and held her in place. "Kore, fuck... yes... love you. My goddess." 

She let herself slump against him, gasping for breath, barely aware of the petals gusting around the car. Hades' lips were soft against hers, almost lazy, and when the pleasure cleared enough for her to feel her body, she realized he'd come, filling her up. _I have to go to these meetings like this? Will they be able to tell? Why does it make me feel so sexy?_ An aftershock of delight rocked through her at the thought.

"You Queen!" His hands were framing her cheeks, and Persephone let his eyes swim into focus. "I've never come at the same time as anyone. Never, much less in less than three minutes." There was so much love in his eyes that she thought she would melt. "What magic have you put me under, oh Queen." She giggled until he kissed her softly, lifting her hips. She hadn't realized he'd produced a handkerchief from a pocket until it was pressed between her thighs. "Hold it there, then put your panties back on." 

She did as instructed, though climbing over the console again was awkward. No sooner had the gold lace encased her body and her dress was pulled back into place, than she felt his release begin to trickle out. "Oh... sugarsnaps." The sensation was sending her back into a frenzy of need. 

"Control yourself, Kore!" Hades thumb and forefinger had her chin, and she whimpered when she smelled her arousal on the leather. His tone did little to ease the ache of desire in her core. If anything it made it worse. "Focus..." she closed her eyes, resisting the urge to pull his gloved thumb into her lips. "Breathe... there we go. In... out...." She could feel him inside of her in the shower, her back against the tile wall, as he rocked into her slowly and sweetly. "Do you want everyone to know I just fucked you in the car?"

"No, yes, no! I-" She reached up and clung to his arms. "I need to focus for my meeting with Alaina... I need to focus." Persephone held her breath, letting the stroke of his thumb on her chin ground her. It was hard, because her body seemed completely ravenous for him. She didn't understand. "I'm calm... I'm calm." She opened her eyes, and found Hades smiling softly at her. "Hi." She murmured. 

"Hello." He leaned forward and kissed her brow softly. "There, I know, it's hard control desires. Look at you, mastering it so soon though." His lips touched the tip of her nose sweetly. "Now, you don't work today, so what's this meeting?" Persephone exhaled when he opened his door and slid out. "Whoah! Cerberus! No! She cannot go to work with you!" 

Persephone hurried out of the car, grabbing her purse. Cerberus had planted himself behind the car, half his full size, obviously having followed them instead of going to work. On his center head, Pomelia was seated, panting softly. "Lia, come here Lia." She floated up, retrieving her princess, and floated back down. Cerberus whined. "Sorry boy. She's too small to guard the gate with you. Someone might step on her." 

"I'll have-"

"I'll handle it, love. She's mine after all." Persephone knew she'd instantly won the debate, because Hades took her hand in his. "The meeting, um, it's a surprise. You told me to find something to do in my free time-"

"Not work related I said." 

"It's not work related, technically. It's something for the kids and the schools." Hades eyes went wide, and she felt her chest swell in pride at having caught him off guard. "You'll see." 

"Okay, well, your office isn't finished, and the executive conference room is booked for a breakfast meeting for HR." Hades guided her to the front door, where he froze upon seeing Basil at the usual car. "I'm guessing your meeting isn't on site?" 

"No, But I'll text You when I'm done." He nodded at Basil, who gave a quick bow, and then turned to Persephone to kiss her softly. "Have a good day. I'll see you for lunch." 

"I can't wait." Hades held open this car door for her, arching a brow at Basil, who was smirking knowingly. _What is this big surprise? I wonder if Hecate knows... no... no... I told Persephone to find things to do. I won't meddle._ Hades looked up at Cerberus who seemed highly upset over Pomelia and Persephone being driven away. "Me too, boy. Me too."


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning:  
> Discussion of murder  
> Discussion of mutilation   
> Discussion of forced hysterectomies  
> Basically.... Persephone gets to pass judgment for some cruel shit

Persephone giggled to herself as she saw the reflection in the windows as she got out of the car. Pomelia's new navy blue, rhinestone collar and matching leash glinted in the lights, as did her pretty new navy bow with a gold charm in the shape of a tiara. They looked quite the pair, as she approached the restaurant. Her little tiara shaped charm jingled merrily. 

"Your Majesty" A man's voice made her pause, and she turned. A flash hit her eyes, she gasped, stepping back, clutching her chest. Pomelia gave a sharp bark, as the sound of a Basil's shout filled the air. "What?! What did I-"

Persephone's vision cleared in time to see Basil had planted himself in front of her, and he was clutching the photographer by his throat. The photographer looked young, barely old enough to be out of highschool. "Basil! It's okay!" Pomelia was yapping wildly, so Persephone scooped her up. 

"My Queen, are you sure?" Basil had loosened his grip, but his hands were on the camera. Persephone touched his arm, trying to still her racing heart. "Next time, ask permission!" He seethed, before stepping back. 

"S-s-sorry-" The boy turned, as if to run, but Persephone touched his arm. He froze, and she saw his face lilac face turn paler. "I just... I run a blog on pets... I just-"

"Shhhh hey. I'm not mad. It isn't common knowledge I have a thing with flash photography." She swallowed hard, wishing vehemently Hades was there. There weren't many things that made her feel as weak and fragile as she had that night, not since she regained her control. Camera flashes did. "What's your name?"

"Alec...um... I host the Godly Pets Gossip Page on Fatesbook. Its just... King Hades... he normally lets me take photos of his dogs, and I haven't.... she's new." The poor kid was nearly sobbing, and his log hair shifted revealing deer like antlers. 

"Oh! This is Pomelia! She's mine!" Persephone held her pretty girl out a bit, so Alec could scratch her ears. "He got her for me last night. Would you like some more pictures of her?" Alec nodded, and Persephone smiled. "I'll just put her-"

"Could I have one of you holding her? I can... I can turn off the flash-"

"Leave it on. I'll be okay." Persephone steeled herself, trying hard to focus her attention on Pomelia. She smiled as she saw the little tail go berserk at the attention, and she buried her face in her fur, kissing the sweet softness to soothe herself as the camera flashed a few times. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty. These will be perfect." Persephone lifted her face as Alec stepped back. "I'll just... Thank you." The boy practically fled across the street, and Persephone clutched Pomelia tighter. 

"King Hades told me to intervene if any paparazzi ever-"

Persephone touched Basil's arm and smiled softly. "Thank you. I appreciate it, but next time, just stepping between us is enough." She went up on her toes, tugging him down, to kiss his cheek. "Will you come inside-"

"My job is to stay out here and make sure you aren't disturbed anymore." He touched her shoulder again, delicately, and Persephone swore he looked ready to dive in front of one of Zeus' lightning bolts if she asked. It was only then that she noticed a strangely sweet scent coming from her lips. It reminded her of Rhea and Zeus and Poseidon and Mama when planting at Harvest. 

_Oh my Gaia, my powers._ She focused hard, finding an odd tickling sensation under her jaw, behind her knees, between her thighs, on her wrists, around her breasts, and under her tongue. She clenched her body, trying to make the sensation stop like she would a cough or a sneeze. The sweet smell disappeared, and Basil's demeanor and smile relaxed some. _Sugar Snaps. That isn't good._ "Um 'Kay." She ducked inside, looking around to see if she could spot Alaina. 

She'd seen her picture on her resume, but there were plenty of white skinned river nymphs in the realms. So, Persephone was relieved when one in maroon pencil skirt with a pale pink blouse made eye contact with her and stood. She hurried over, holding Pomelia in her left arm, as Alaina gave a quick curtsy. "Your Majesty, it's an pleasure." 

"None of that, and please, call me Persephone." She extended her right hand, haling Alaina's lightly. Then she slid into a seat and let Pomelia curl up on her lap. A waitress appeared, executing a quick curtsy. "I'll just have a lemon water and a breakfast tea. Alaina, have whatever you'd like." 

"A cappuccino please." The lovely nymph smiled, as the waitress scurried away.

"So, this project. I don't know if I put enough details in the email." Persephone retrieved her tablet, one Eros had made her buy, from her purse and pulled up some rough sketches she'd done while Hades was out the night before. 

"You want to do a complete overhaul of the schools' grounds, as well as adding parks." Alaina smiled, scooting her chair closer. "You'd also said you'd be providing all of the plants, using your abilities, so long as I designed the layouts and helped with the fine details." Persephone nodded. "I mean these are amazing, but if you're talking irrigation systems, bi-weekly fertilizer imports, as well as lamps using grow bulbs, the budget is going to be substantial." 

"How substantial?" She'd looked up cost of retail items, as she wasn't exactly sure where to find them whole sale. 

"Well, the Olympian contractors-"

"Underworld, I want to use Underworld based contractors." Persephone did her best not to snap, but it was difficult. She was finding that it wasn't uncommon for more talented Underworld companies to be over looked in favor of Olympian status. It irked her to no end. "I get that there aren't many that handle plants, which is why my powers are critical, but for the irrigation systems, the lights, the fountains, and the playgrounds, I don't see any reason why Underworld companies can't be used."

"Of course. I'll get started on finding some." Alaina paused as their drinks were delivered. She reached for her purse. 

"Put it on my account, Olivia, with a fourty percent tip for yourself." The waitress beamed, executing another quick curtsy. "Fantastic, now, what is critical is that until these final plans are drawn, I don't want the King to know. I can get the budget drawn with ease, but it is imperative that the companies we contract understand that I am the head on this, not him." 

"Of course, Persephone. I just need you to email me the sketches." She quickly typed in Alaina's email and sent the pictures through. Then she took a slow sip of her tea. "Now, for just the securing of the contractors, we're looking at at least two million. This will allow them to block dates in their schedule, secure permits, and hire any additional workers." 

The price made Persephone cringe internally, but she did her best to hide it. Carefully, she logged into the credentials that Hades had given her, but she had yet to access. The kingdom's treasury page loaded, and Persephone nearly spilled her tea. She wasn't too experienced with finances of that scale, but, it looked to her like the project was not going to be an issue at all. "One moment." 

Switching to her water, Persephone scrolled with one finger through the myriad of earmarked accounts. _Social services, housing planning, public transportation, royal allowance..._ Persephone nearly passed out at that, and it wasn't even the largest one. She was a tad surprised to see that the two categories she needed were at the very bottom of the list. _Education system, and Kingdom Renovation._ "Another moment please." 

Persephone clicked on a link in the description of the Education system, just to ensure that anything regarding the schools wouldn't be detrimental to their established plan. She had to blink when she saw that there was always a surplus, as there were very few sports teams or art program attendance. The kingdom annual renovation budget was barely touched except for road repair and lighting upgrades. "It won't be a problem." She clicked on the transfer money selection, and using the credentials Alaina slid her, she transferred the two million as well as enough for a nice incentive bonus. "The excess is for you, as a motivation to get this done in a timely manner."

Alaina's phone dinged, and Persephone laughed at her expression. "Queen Persephone, my commission Isn't usually paid until-"

"That's an incentive, not the commission. Your commission will come once it's all completed." Persephone felt a twinge of pride in herself, as she bookmarked an additional ten million in the renovation ledger for the parks and then five million in the education one. "I look forward to seeing your ideas for the layouts."

"This is going to make a stir, not hiring any Olympian contractors." Alaina mused, and Persephone flashed her a wild grin.

"That's the point. Also, if you do well, this may become a permanent position for you. The other Queens have their staff, and I've yet to build mine." The nymph's face lit up, and Persephone had no doubt that this project was about to explode. "I want to follow up with you on Monday, will the initial contracts and such be ready by then?" 

"Of course they will be."

"If you have to stay overnight in the Underworld for any part of this project, just let me know. I can make arrangements for you as well." Persephone finished her water and set her cup aside. "Did you need anything else?"

"No your Majesty. I will get started on this promptly." Alaina looked more excited than before, with her yellow eyes dancing in the light. Persephone stood, cradling Pomelia in her arms. 

"My office should be ready by Monday. So, meet me at Tower One." Persephone returned her smile before heading out to Basil. It was technically her day off from work, but becoming more and more involved with her Kingdom was reminding her she had other tasks to fulfill. 

"I need to swing by the house, can you wait outside for me?" 

"Of course." Basil held the door open, and Persephone slid inside. 

It was only an hour later when Hades looked up from the life scroll in his hands. The door opening in the back was not audible over the low murmur of the waiting souls, but Hades didn't need to hear it. The smell of pomegranates and lavender, mingled with fresh grass and clear morning dew made his mind clear. He sighed, watching as the shades parted. 

Persephone was practically floating up the path they'd made, her peplos rustling quietly. It was as black as his, only embroidered with the palest blue accents, and her feet were bare on the worn obsidian floors. Her hair was loosed, falling in waves that reached her hips, and her diadem shone in the torchlight. "My Queen." Hades stood, descending the steps of the dais, extending his palm to her. 

"Queen?"  
"The Unseen One has married?"  
"No songs or stories are sung or told of a Queen!"

The waiting souls became more restless, their murmurs heavier, agitated by the presence of a fertility goddess. Hades closed his fingers over Persephone's kissing them softly as he nearly drowned in her gaze. "I wish to observe judgment, My King." His heart began to flip, as he realized he was about to watch one if his fantasies come to life. 

"Allow me escort you to your throne, My Persephone." He led her up to her throne, taking only half a moment to admire the way she sat upon in. Her skirts spilled open, revealing her right leg and the perfectly painted toes of her feet. Her fingers curled delicately around her scepter, and her eyes were nearly as brilliant as the stone at the top. 

"Persephone"  
"Bringer of Death"  
"Goddess of Spring."  
"She is Queen Underground?"

"Silence." Hades sat himself down, casting another admiring stare at his wife. _How could I ever have imagined anyone but her at my side?_ "Next soul, Jason of Actium" A lanky boy of about seventeen stepped forward. His eyes were glued to Persephone, though as he sank to his knees, they finally flickered back to Hades. "You find my Queen pleasant to look upon?"

"Yes, oh Unseen One, but..." He snapped his mouth shut, and Hades' curiosity was piqued. "Only my Zoe was far more fair." Hades whipped his head to look at Persephone, who had leaned forward with an amused smile. 

"A brave soul to compare a mortal to a goddess." Her voice was light, amused, but Jason didn't look up. "Perhaps I am wrathful, and I would strike her down as ugly? It is not uncommon for my fellow goddesses to act as such." Hades admired the way she changed her vocabulary to fit the role she was taking. He wondered, briefly, if she'd ever be interested in bottoming from the top for him. He lowered the scroll as a sweet, enticing scent reached his nose. It saturated his nostrils, coating this tongue and back of his throat. Almost instantaneously, the desire to touch her burned through him. The souls grew more restless. 

"I fear no wrath, Dread Queen, as she was taken for judgement three days past." Jason looked up, anger burning from his eyes. "And scarred and deformed she was made when her father and brother cut her face and soaked her skin in boiling oil when they caught us kissing in the barn." 

"Zoe, Miller's Daughter." Hades recalled her, the mangled mess of a fifteen year old who had been at his throne. "Charitable, kind, midwife in training, pure in mind and soul, devoted to Hera's teaching though not a neophyte, and obedient to a fault except for loving someone her father did not want her to wed." He drew a breath, offering his wife a smile as she looked to him. "I rewarded her with freedom of her scars and endless joy in the fields of Elysium." Persephone's lips twitched, and her eyes accused him in the sweetest way. _I know. I have a soft spot for certain types._

Jason's entire being glowed. Hades could see his love, one of the few things that mortals carried with them into his realm. "Then judge me as you see fit, Ruler of the Dead." 

Hades glanced back down at the scroll, sighing in dismay at the tarnishes. There were the normal ones of a boy his age, but two were swirled in red in Hermes' cramped script. "Your soul entered my realm, when you were hung for murder." He couldn't look at Persephone, because he didn't want to see her reaction to what his words caused. 

Jason's hands began to drip, rich, dark, arterial blood. It splashed to the floor, soaking his bare feet. "You drugged Loukas the Miller and Alkestis the Miller then stabbed them in their sleep." Hades shook his head, picking up a quill.

"I could not fight, as they had broken my hand for trying to save Zoe." Hades hated cases like this. It wasn't self defense, but neither was it cold blood. It wasn't revenge, but neither did he have rights to vengeance. It became up to his royal interpretation. "As I said, judge me as you see fit." 

"Two years of hard labor, for the murders." Hades wrote the judgement out. "If your behavior has proven your contrition, you may spend eternity with your Zoe in Elysium." He sealed the scroll and passed it off to one of the shades trained for court room duties.

"Thank you. Thank you!" Jason scrambled to his feet, and Hades watched as his mortal personality began to lessen at the ink dried. By the time he reached the door to exit into in processing, he had grown pale and cringed. All his joy and hope would have been sucked out in place of the emotions of the murders. 

"Oh..." Persephone's voice was soft, and Hades looked briefly to find her frowning. "Aidoneus... he-"

"Justice for the immortal soul is hard." He murmured, the epithet he'd burned into his own mind from day one. "Next soul." He accepted the scroll. Her death had been only the day prior, so as he called her name, Hades moved ahead to her titles and deeds. "Penelope, of Crete-"

"Penelope!" Persephone had surged from her throne as Hades' eyes landed on the green and purple shimmering ink. "High Priestess of Demeter, Keeper of the Temple of Crete!" She made it three steps down before the Priestess stepped away from her advance. "Your robes... your hands..." 

"My Queen! Step away!" Hades barked, as he realized her robes were not red, bur Virginial white and stained with blood. The blood was gushing from her fingers like a river. "Persephone-"

"I deliver a message from my Goddess to the Rapist king." She threw something shimmering to the floor, and Persephone stepped back with a shout of horror. It was three uteri bound together with Olympian wheat. The power of the wheat had allowed them to pass unharmed into the realm. "Order Lady Kore to return, or you shall face a barren world." 

"Penelope... what have you done?!" Persephone's cry of rage made Hades grab for her. "No! I want her to tell me." 

"It's written here... My Queen-"

"Tell me yourself!" Penelope's lips broke into a sycophantic grin. "What did my mother-"

"I cleansed my temple. All of the temples are being cleansed." Her eyes danced in a righteous glee. "Lady Demeter wants to find how the Dark Kidnapper beguiled you. So, she has ordered the examination of all her neophytes and acolytes and priestesses. Any found touched by mortal or god seed must be cleansed. She said those who did not act by consent would survive, Sophia, Chloe, and Maya did not. So, the seed that soiled their womb was welcomed by choice." She spread her hands, as if explaining that milk had spoiled. "As penance for failing to keep them pure, I sacrificed myself on her altar."

Hades stared down at the scroll in horror, as the implications became clear. 

** Murder x3:  
Sophia, aged nineteen- Low Priestess of Her High Lady Demeter  
Chloe, aged eighteen- Prayer Leader of Her High Lady Demeter  
Maya, aged sixteen- Neophyte of Her High Lady Demeter  
Method:  
botched forced hysterectomy  
Cause of own death:  
Self-exsanguination in performance of Duties to Her High Lady Demeter.  
Considerations for Sentencing:  
Five Years as Neophyte to Her High Lady Hestia before transferring to service of Her High Lady Demeter  
Twenty years of dedicated service to Her High Lady Demeter **

"I cut their defiled wombs from their bodies." Penelope shrugged with no remorse. Hades tasted bile in his throat, but he had no time to react before the mad priestess continued. "Lady Demeter says she will separate the pure from the tainted, like wheat from chaff on the threshing room floor. When you return, it shall be to purity only." 

"Where are they?! Did they receive payment to cross? Where?!" Penelope didn't answer. She simply sneered at Hades, and it took everything in his power to keep from summon Cerberus to consume her. "Answer me!" Persephone's roar was so powerful, Hades nearly lost his footing. 

Despite being a head shorter than the priestess, it seemed she towered over her. The black scepter appeared in her hand, as her primal form burst forth in a glow of magenta and opaque black. "You murdered them! YOU MURDERED INNOCENT GIRLS!" Hades nearly dropped the scroll in wonder as his wife's power was unleashed. 

"I purified my temple!" Penelope sneered. "Is it my fault that they were harlot children like you?!" Persephone's eyes blew so red her pupils disappeared. "Lady Demeter has deluded herself into thinking you have ever been anything but a whore. I knew it the moment I saw how you let your priestesses and neophytes lounge around your temple in nothing but scraps of silk and flowers! You wanted the Sun God and the Unseen One to defile you." A vine lashed across her face, but it left no mark on her liminal form. "Lady Demeter will never accept that you are the Dark One's willing whore. Their deaths are your fault!" 

"You, _**dare**_ accuse me of their death, when their blood drips from you like you bathed in it!" 

"Persephone, my love." Hades needed order to be regained, as the shades pending judgment began to stir and push out of the way of the vines and thorns whipping. "My Queen, she can feel no pain until sentencing." He touched her arm lightly, trying to draw her back. "Judgement-"

"Is mine! I claim her judgement." Hades barely had time to register Persephone spinning on her heel and ascending to her throne. He approached her, his heart racing at the sight of her still in primal form, seated regally and coldly upon the edge of her throne. He felt a single flicker of fear for the priestess seething and pacing at the bottom of the dais, but it faded when he recalled the things she had done. Silently, he took his own throne. 

"Silence!" Persephone's voice rang out, and the entire courtroom fell silent, even Penelope. Hades said nothing as she slammed her scepter down. "Penelope, Priestess of Demeter, by your own statements, you find no fault in your crimes. Even as their blood drips from your soul, you see no error in your crimes." Her scepter extended in accusation, and Hades watched as decision cleared her eyes. "I sentence you to the most barren space in all of Tartarus. There, from sunrise to sunset, ants and beetles and locust will devour your organs. Then, from sunset to sunrise, you will be deprived of all senses but touch, as you feel your organs regrow. No creature but those shall ever touch you, even Lady Demeter. She shall never be permitted to even visit you. You will suffer your torment in eternal loneliness!" 

_Fuck me, how could such an idea exist in that mind? Zeus would cower before her if he saw her exercise her judgement. I have been blessed_ Persephone's scepter slammed again, as snapped with her free hand. "Feed her the pomegranates now. I want to watch her soul become bound." A shade came forward, forcing Penelope to her knees, as Persephone signed the scroll Hades passed to her in amazement and slight terror. He took the scroll back, as Penelope choked on the seeds before swallowing. Then, as the escort shades made to lead her away, Persephone gave another slam of her scepter, and Hades felt her shade power blast forward. Penelope disappeared in a howl of pain. 

"My gods, I fucking love you." He breathed, reaching across the narrow gap to touch her arm. "That was... glorious." 

Persephone felt her fangs tingle as she looked to her husband. She'd never felt anything so right as she did in that moment, exercising her judgement, with her husband staring on in wide eyed worship. "They want to call me Dread Queen, and Dreadful I shall be." She hadn't intended to interrupt his sentencing, but the power vibrating through her body was like she'd been born to do it. She released her scepter to slide her fingers back to hold his. "Next soul!" _This is where I belong, forever._


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last bit of smutty smut for a few chapters! Enjoy

Persephone jumped when Hades' voice rang out over the now empty courtroom. "Out! Everyone out! Nobody may reenter until cleaning time tonight!" She watched as the shades flickered away and the few other creatures disappeared. She was about to stand, her chest and throat burning from her judgements, when Hades dropped to his knees before her throne. 

"Aidoneus, what-"

"Let me worship you. Little Goddess, my Queen, you have no idea what you have done to me today." There was a fire in his eyes that made Persephone shiver. "Let me worship you." His fingers fell to her exposed knee, and Persephone didn't want refuse him. "Tell me, Queen Underground, what I must do to worship you thoroughly. How can I prove myself a supplicant?" 

"Um." Persephone felt her mind spin at the sudden change of power. While Hades always asked her if something was okay or pleasurable or too much, he'd always taken the lead in sexual encounters. Even her blowjob that morning, his fingers had been in her hair, and he'd quickly taken charge. Their quickie in the car had been the same. "I....I don't know-" She wasn't uncomfortable, but she wasn't sure what he wanted from her. She didn't know how to react to a submissive Hades. She knew what she wanted from him, what she'd been craving since their quick lunch respite.

"Tell me, Dread Queen, how one may make you feel... adored." There was a slight edge to his voice, that tingle of command, and Persephone swallowed as she realized he wasn't suddenly turning the tables. He was still very much the dominant figure in the power structure they'd been gradually building. Hades was still _Daddy_ , but he was simply introducing a new angle. "Tell me what to do to you, what judgment am I to pay to earn your favor?" 

_Right! He did say, at lunch, seeing me exact judgment, using my royalty, turned him on. I think I understand what he means._ Hades had, for the rest of the day, claim judgment where she saw fit. The majority of the judgments were banal, neither exceedingly good or evil, so they'd been reduced to shades and sentenced to the fields of asphodel, aka Service of Underworld Corps. and Affiliates. When particularly nasty cases came forward, or mortals behaved as if Hades and Herself were beneath them, she'd given in to her power. "I have to tell you what to do to me?" 

"Yes, you _have_ to tell me." His lips twitched but never broke their worshipful smile. 

"Hmmm well...you may start with verbal praises while kissing and touching my legs." She dropped her fingers to the arms of her throne, leaning back into the seat, lifting her right foot. "Go on, I haven't got all day." She bit back a sigh as Hades took her ankle in his grip and placed a kiss to the small dip below the bone. 

"You're power is unparalleled, My Queen. Your judgments just and eternal." His voice was reverent, sending tingles along her skin. "You render me speechless when I behold you, and the world exists solely on the curves of your lips." His fingers slipped up her calf, pressing adoring circles into her muscle as Hades' lips laved burning, open mouth kisses along her skin. "I would die for you, if you asked, and live a million lifetimes if you commanded." 

"Oh, gods." Persephone sighed at the sensation of his tongue curling behind her knee. He moved to her other leg, bunching her skirts aside, and Persephone could feel herself growing wet in the thin, pale blue lace under her clothes. "More!"

"Your beauty outshines all the stars, and your voice would make a siren weep." Hades' teeth grazed along her skin, making her heart skip, as his fingers swirled patterns along her ankles. "Your wisdom can build empires, and your wrath could devour a world." Higher his lips traveled, forcing her legs apart so he could breathe against her skin there, whimpering like a man given water after days in the dessert. Persephone felt it deep in her being, that unmistakable sensation of worship. "I want to feast upon your nectar, far sweeter than any fruit or flower in all of the realms.

"Not yet, supplicant." She mewled, dipping her fingers into his hair and spreading her legs as wide as her throne would allow. "Undress me, first." His hands flew to the aquamarine studded brooches at her shoulders. "With your teeth." He gave a groan that poured lava into her core, and Persephone brushed her hair back to tilt her neck. "You may use one hand, only, to undo the clasp." 

Hades fingers made quick work of the brooch, and Persephone sighed at the way his nose grazed her neck. "Kiss my neck, lick it, bite it. If you want to taste my nectar, then earn it. Beg for my blessing, and keep praising me." There was a thrill she hadn't expected, in the way he had commanded her to control him. It was like a game, the cat and mouse teasing and taunting, and while she was undeniably the mouse, Hades was doing his best to play like she wasn't. 

"Oh, My Goddess, my Sweet, Perfect Queen." His words were breathless as he gripped her throne on either side of her elbows and gave a determined, sucking, bite to her exposed neck Persephone wondered, as his hard cock brushed her knee through the folds of his robes, if it were possible to implode with need. "Your skin is more delicious than ambrosia. You scent..." He drew a long inhale, making her eyes nearly roll back at the sensation. "Gods save me, what is that... scent? It's... fuck, sweetness." She keened when he dropped character, his whole mouth on the underside of her jaw, growling in approval at whatever he tasted there.

"Supplicant, my clothes." She managed to get out, though the order seemed more of a plea. Persephone closed her eyes, feeling that foreign tingle all over again. _Oh.... hmmmm... so that's how he responds to my new powers._

"My was apologies Goddess." His fingers found the other clasp, undoing it, just as his teeth caught the material and he pulled it down over her breasts. "You smell, absolutely irresistible. Please, my Queen, you _need_ to let me taste of your... nec...tar." She opened her eyes to find him staring transfixed at her bare torso, pupils blown wide, lips parted. "No beauty in nature can compare to you, my Queen." Quickly, she did her best to reign in her tempting scent, not wanting to use it without his permission. 

"You would like to taste and touch these, I think." Persephone cupped her right breast, rolling it as she watched his arousal stir the black folds of his clothes. 

"I may banish myself to the depths of Tartarus if you deny me the privilege." 

"You may, don't stop until I tell you." She pulled him down. She cried out in pleasure when Hades dropped to his knees, surging forward. His lips encased almost her entire right breast. His right hand cupped her other. "Yes, like that! Fuck!" His teeth had grazed her nipple, sending a flash of stars behind her eyes. She gripped his hair in one hand, squeezing his shoulder with the other. "You should play with MY!" She jerked under him with a shout of need when he nipped and pinched her nipples before giving a long suck and perfect knead. "My b-b-breasts more! I love it!" 

She was nearly embarrassed with how wet she was becoming, but Persephone let herself drift in the lavish sensations her lover was gifting her with. She shifted under him, making no effort to hide as she dropped her hand from his arm to touch herself over her underwear. Hades made a desperate noise, but he only switched sides. "You want to taste this?." She panted, bringing her damp finger up to trail a path to his waiting tongue. The sinful noise he made nearly undid her. She couldn't resist anymore. _I need him to make me come._ Her thoughts sounded as needy as her command. "Remove my clothes and make me come with your mouth and fingers! Now!" 

Hades released her with a pop that echoed across the empty throne room, and Persephone nearly came when his strong hands yanked her robes down her legs, then, torturously slow, his teeth found the lace, tugging it down. "Off! Fuck! Rip it. I don't care! I need to-YES!" There was a tearing sound, and Hades' lips were on her curls. Persephone felt and watched as her curves blossomed, sending pollen and petals swirling in the air. 

Time seemed to disappear. All she felt and heard the lace practically disintegrate under his hands. Then, his mouth was on her, wild, starving, and desperate. "Yes! Yes! YES!" She gripped her throne, tossing her head back. "Put my legs over your-Ah! Hades!" His tongue had thrust into her even as he gripped her thighs and draped her legs over his broad shoulders. "More! More! Don't you dare stop!"

Persephone gasped for breath as Hades slipped a finger inside of her. His mouth giving her a moment of reprieve. "Oh, my Queen. You are as sweet as berries." Then his tongue was swirling around the hooded bud at her apex and his finger worked her with a purpose. 

She couldn't focus, couldn't think of anything, couldn't do anything but feel the pleasure. She could feel her orgasm building, tightening low in her core. "More! More! More!" Persephone dug her heels into his back, fisting his hair, trying to rock against his lips and hands. "Close.. close... I need... I-" Hades slipped a second finger in, thrusting up, and she exploded. 

"Yes, mmmmm, yes... my Goddess!" Hades nearly lost his mind at the way her orgasm burst around his fingers, coating his knuckles and lips. "So sweet, my Queen. I could drink of you all day." Hades preened internally at how quickly and how wildly he'd made Persephone come undone. "What else may I do... how else can I please you?" He groaned, giving determined thrust of his fingers into her still quivering body. "Would it please you if I made love to you?" 

"No-" Her words made him pause. So far, she'd taken his cues well, giving him commands as he wanted her body. He looked up, finding her flushed face burning in dark lust. "It would please me to ride you." His cock twitched in pleasure at the idea. "Release me, open your robes, bare your body for my use, then sit on your throne." She practically purred. 

Hades eased her legs down before standing. Swiftly, he unfastened his own folds of fabric, letting them fall open so she could see he wore nothing under the dark, heavy fabric. He moved to sink to his throne, heart racing, pounding, as she stood and moved in front of him. "You are so flawless." He breathed, resisting the urge to run his fingers along the wildflowers covering the supple swells of her hips and shoulders. "I-" her finger pressed to his lips, and Hades gripped the edges of his throne. 

Wordlessly she dropped her hands to his shoulders and straddled his lap. "Has any woman ever been on your throne like this?" She rocked her slick folds against his pleading cock, and Hades was all too pleased to answer. 

"Never... never..." Minthe had tried, once, but he hadn't even let her sit. It had felt wrong. "Oh, Goddess. May I touch-"

"Yes!" Hades barely got his hands on her before she'd slid his cock back, finding her center, and took him to the base in one swift morion. "Aidoneus." Her cry of pleasure made him jerk, and he gripped her hips stabilizing her as she began to ride him. "Yes! Yes! I love how you fill me! Kiss me!"

Hades ducked his head, meeting her lips as his wife rode him with a single minded abandoned. He kept her balanced, yielding to her lips and tongue, groaning as she took her pleasure from him. She was practically gushing wet around him, flaming hot, her velvet walls fluttering perfect ecstasy into his veins. She was making high pitched keens, nails biting his scalp and shoulder, bur Hades took it all. 

Having Persephone chase her next orgasm on him, kissing him, because he'd driven her to an edge of need, was erotic in a way he'd never imagined possible. The sounds of their bodies coming together, of her mewls and keens of pleasure, were driving him to the edge as swiftly as her tight heat. "Oh... Aidoneous. I'm gonna.. I'm again.... on your... ahhh." Her lips were on him again, fervent, desperate, as her bounces became rocks of her hips. The change in angle, accompanied by the way she began to flutter around hum, sent him careening up. "Come with me... come with me. Like this morning! If you want t...o... guh... please me! Come, with, me." 

"Yes! Yes!" Hades held himself back, letting his Queen find the perfect pace to milk her pleasure from him. She was gasping against his open mouth, and her nails bit down hard. She nearly howled, tossing her head back, writhing, twisting her hips down into his. Hades lost control. "Kore!" He roared, jerking his hips up as his own completion poured out of him, sparking meteor showers in his mind as his heart was on a stampede. "Ah!" He grunted, stunned by the amount that was filling her. His whole body twitched,'making his toes curl, as she wrapped herself around him, seated fully on his still pulsing cock. 

"So... much... I've... mmmmm Hades." He thought he would combust at the way she was wriggling in his lap, hands on his chest. "Love you."

"Love you too." He stroked her back, even as she pressed sweet kisses along his chest and grazed her fingers along his side. 

"Mmm I need to be gentle with you now." Her voice was softer than a whisper, and Hades yielded to her delicate touch of his face. He opened one eye, smiling as she began to rub soft massages over where her nails and fingers had been. 

"Thank you, my Queen. Have I pleased you? Was I a worthy supplicant?" He brushed her hair from her face, wondering how it was possible to fall in love all over again. Then Persephone lifted off of his still hard cock, and she groaned. Hades felt the mess spill over his thigh, and he couldn't help the stupid grin on his face. 

"You have, you were very worthy." Hades could see the effort it was taking her to maintain the role, and he wasted no time cupping her cheek and cradling her face to his chest. "Did I do well?"

"Yes, Little Goddess. You were extraordinary." He pulled some of his billowing material up to wrap around her. "Thank you for giving me that." Hades kissed her brow, savoring the content noises she was emitting. He felt sated, finally, after being on a razors edge of desire since their romp in the car. "Would you be willing to do that again sometime?" 

"Yes, but not-"

"Not all the time. I know... I just... I want to worship you sometimes." He kissed her hair, looking down when she finally lifted her face. Her pleased look made his heart do a little skip. "Because I love you."

"I love you too." 

"So... what's this secret meeting you were at?" He had been dying to know, but he also hadn't dug into her movements. Hades trusted her, and the sly little giggle he got only made him even more curious. 

"You'll see on Monday." Her stomach gave an adorable growl, and Hades barked our a laugh. "i need help getting dressed. Still can't move my legs." 

"Then I was thinking, I want to take you on a proper date." Watching her face light up was all the 'yes' he needed to know he'd made the right call making reservations for dinner. _I have never felt as loved and whole as when she touches me._


	48. Chapter 48

Two weeks flew by in what felt like no time at all to Hades. His life had fallen into a rhythm he'd never even dreamed could be possible. Early morning, lazy kisses, sometimes half asleep tender love making, followed by breakfasts, or sometimes breakfasts came before frantic prework quickies on the kitchen counter, shower wall, or in the closet. 

Then there was work, always going together, except for Wednesdays when she met Hera and Amphitrite for brunch. Hades loved Wednesdays almost as much as judgment days, because more often than not, he'd come from a meeting to find his half tipsy queen sitting on his desk angling for a snuggle or a spanking. Other days, she disappeared to her secret meetings or had a get together with the planners for the university. In the afternoon they took the dogs out to the garden, where they'd usually eat their own dinner, then there would be some form of love making again. 

He loved how nearly insatiable Persephone was, as her fertility powers developed and became more stable. She rarely bloomed or grew her hair accidentally anymore, unless Hades had been particularly rough or infinitely tender. The petal storms were still not under control, which he frankly loved. Everything about his home, his office, and his cars had become permeated with the aroma of spring. Everything except the throne room, that was, where his soft hearted flower became a Queen of ice. 

Only the most moving of stories or the sweetest of innocents could melt her, and those that did, were given the most perfect paradise's of Elysium. Twenty more of her mother's priestesses had been found on the beach, brutalized by their high priestesses. Each had been escorted by Persephone personally to Rhea, who promised to make their eternity one of maternal love. 

Hades had offered to look into things, but Persephone had refused, stating she was handling it. It was the only thing in their lives that she insisted on doing alone. He hated it, but he wouldn't interfere. He was now thinking of it only because Persephone had left him in tower one when she went to deliver two new priestesses to his own mother. She'd promised a surprise when she got back. 

So, when a blindfold slid over his eyes, coincidentally the same one she'd been wearing the night before, he smiled. "Mmmm, here in the lobby? I knew you liked it risky, Little Goddess, but-"

"Behave!" Her hand delivered a playful smack to his ass, and Hades laughed. Then she was taking his hand in hers. "Now, come on. I show you your surprise first, and then you can show me my office. We agreed!" He chuckled, letting her take the lead out to where Basil was no doubt waiting. 

"We did!" Hades didn't even bother hiding the grin on his face from any onlookers, as her heels clicked out their journey. It wasn't just the sex that made their marriage so fulfilling to him. He was completely in awe of how understanding and affectionate she was with him. 

He'd never particularly asked her to be. Where he had given her a safe, comfortable, loving environment to recover from her trauma, she had given him the same. For every abuse hurled at him by lovers in the past, Persephone supplemented cheek kisses. For every degradation, she had a praise. For every hit that had fallen on him in anger, Persephone had cuddled him close after a nightmare. His scars, which he had long since accepted as a disfigurement, were Persephone's favorite things to touch when he was worried or stressed, and he now saw them as an intricate map of his broken past.

She had taken every thing his therapist had said to him and shone a light on it that he'd never contemplated. Hades had begun to accept that being in love was a safe haven he'd refused to accept existed before. So, if she turned him into a silly mess at a public dinner, or used his arm to test lipstick colors at the mall, Hades had no problems with her actions. 

"Do I get a hint?" He asked, as she told him to mind his head. Hades ducked into the waiting car blindly.

"Um, no." The car door closed, and drawing a breath, he realized he was in his car, not Basil's. There was a soft thud of the driver's door closing, and then the sound of keys. "Wait... you're driving?" He scrambled for his seatbelt, earning himself a gasp of disbelief, before Persephone launched a short tickle attack on his ribs. "I was kidding!"

"One hundred percent!" She huffed. Hades couldn't see her, but there was no doubt she was grinning wildly as the car began to move. "Okay, now, you may be wondering why there's been about nine million taken out of the education budget." 

"I hadn't noticed, honestly. So little changes here that I rarely look at any of the Kingdom budgets except during tax season and then for the mid year audit." Hades fumbled until he found her hand. Her fingers laced with his, and his, and he found it all too easy to rest his head back. "I'm curious now. I'm assuming it's not about the University, considering I have seen that." 

"Nope. This is something different. I, um, I hope you like it." Persephone sounded anxious, and her hand was trembling in his. So he gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Its always why I hide my sketchbooks, and it's why I'm a little tired on Mondays and Fridays." Hades had noticed that she had been on the sleepy and cuddly side early those nights, but he'd honestly chalked it up to her coming into her power and the stress of the kingdom. 

"Sweetness, anything you do, I'll like." Hades squeezed her hand, as she made a turn. He felt a bump like coming into a parkinglot, and then she was parking. "We didn't go far." 

"I know. This school is closest." Persephone's voice was accompanied by the sound of her turning off the car. Hades waited patiently, for her to open his door. Then, he slid out. Immediately, the smell of grass and fresh water and mineral rich soil. An image of meadow came to his mind. His wife's small hands angled him by his ribs, then she stepped away. "On the count of three, take it off. One... two... three."Hades pushed his blindfold up and blinked.

"Oh, Kore." He rubbed his eyes, stepping forward, his breath stolen. The school's grounds, which had been barren, lit by yellow, cold lights, and filled with fake shrubbery was alive. Iron lamposts, shaped like trees, were planted around the grounds, casting warm, life bringing lights from grow bulbs. The dead soil had been replaced with rich soil, and grass was growing in a pleasant blanket.

He noticed that the sidewalk didn't have grow lights shining, and when he came around the building with her lead, he saw that the playground itself didn't either. The bushes and gardens that had replaced the decorative rock piles on the border of the play area did, though. Then he saw the three teachers blocking a door. "What-"

"Tell them to open them." She whispered, kissing his arm, and Hades felt his whole being fill with joy. 

"Open the doors!" He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care. The doors flew open, and kids poured out. Their cries of excitement, as they rushed to run in the garden paths or pick flowers, made him laugh out loud and scoop his wife into his side. "Oh, Kore! Kore! I love it!" Her signature roses were filling the air, and he couldn't figure our where to focus, her smile or the children. 

"You do?!" She giggled, and Hades kissed her fiercely in his joy. As much as he loved his kingdom, the quiet isolation, and the comforting feel of being deep in the earth, he also loved spring, and he knew that many of the children weren't native underworlders and would flourish better. Then, he saw the reason why she had avoided grow lights on the path and playground. The children of Underworld races that were sensitive to sunlight were able to play and walk without being exposed to the grow lights. "You thought of everything!" 

"I tried!" She laughed as two little girls went sprinting pass, holding handfuls of flowers. "This is just the first! I'm redoing all the schools, and we're going to do public parks and playgrounds too!" Persephone was practically vibrating, and Hades knew there was more. 

"Well, out with the rest, before you explode!" He laughed, kissing her hair as he kicked an errant ball back. 

"We only used Underworld contractors. A lot of the materials were brought in from Olympus and the Oceans and the Mortal realm, but the workers and the companies are all from here." Hades felt like his world had just been flipped on its head. _Why would she do something so bold? Does she understand what this will  
Mean to how our citizens view her? How did I get so lucky? _ "I want to do the same for the University, as much as possible."

"Then that's how we'll do it!" He scooped her up, kissing her again. He smiled against her lips, when she threw her arms around his neck and giggled. "There's no press." He gasped, as he registered the lack of cameras and reporters. Any big changes in the kingdom usually resulted in a massive televised broadcast, since not many changes occurred. 

"No," her lips pressed into his again with a happy hum, as she lowered herself back to the ground. "I wanted this to be about the kids and you." Hades felt himself practically melt in adoration at the woman holding his hands. "Everything had been kept hush hush, until now. I'm sure the media will be showing up soon." She nodded at some of the older kids who were forty or so feet away taking totally conspicuous selfies with their king and queen in the background. 

"This is the best surprise I've ever gotten. I love you so much." Hades cupped her face again, before the teachers began corralling students back up. "We should probably head back, before the press shows up." He was, in all honesty, loathed to leave. However, if the news did show up while they were there, they would be followed back to Tower One and harangued all day for a statement. The press tended to back off if they were at work or home already. 

"You're probably right." Persephone curled her arm around Hades' as the children filed past. No doubt the tower mail box would soon be full of hand made thank you notes. She knew Hades would secretly love every second of it. Well, it would be a secret to everyone but her and his brothers' families. She pressed into his side, feeling absolutely elated that he had responded so enthusiastically. She had knew he would, but that hadn't stopped her from being afraid he wouldn't. 

Hades was so much more loving and sweet than anyone could guess, and Persephone had never felt anything as wonderful as the past few weeks had been. It wasn't just the multiple lovemaking sessions a day, which were wonderful. It was everything. Persephone had no doubt that her husband loved her, and she loved him back just as fiercely. Life had come to a place where everything felt perfect, came with and ease she hardly had to think of. 

She fiddled with her ring finger, as she took his previous seat in the passenger side. She hoped he hadn't noticed that the 'engagement' ring band of the set was missing. It had been on the sink when she took it off to bathe Mushroom and Big John the night before, but had been gone that morning. Eros had said he would be bringing a plumber over to check the pipes this morning. If it wasn't there, Persephone would have to tell Hades she lost it.

"So how are the plants going to stay-"

"I had fertile soil brought in, and I hired some gardeners for the schools. I taught them the exact mix of fertilizers and water mixtures to keep the plants fed. Then the lights are on timers that mimic how sunlight changes during the day." She wriggled in her seat, absolutely pleased that he was interested in the process. When his free hand landed on her knee and squeezed, she giggled. "I also made we chose plants and flowers, excluding my roses, that are more sturdy under cooler temperatures. They won't die when it snows!"

"You just think of everything, even how some of the students would be sensitive to artificial sunlight." Persephone shook her head, as Tower one came into view. 

"Actually, Alaina brought it up. One of her friends in college could only attend night classes, as the sun blinded her and hurt her skin." Hades squeezed her knee again. "I just wish plants could survive without any sunlight, so I could make something for them in the parks. As it is, I tried to get night blooming flower seeds brought in, that way they can get the full effects."

"Should we invest in growlights at home?" 

"No. I'm there enough that my powers sustain them easily... especially when we have a little fun after dinner." She bit her lip and squeezed his arm. When he glanced towards her, she contemplated asking him to use the parking garage again. She barely managed to get her potent pheromones, as Eros had been so gracious to inform her they were called, under control. Hades must have gotten a whiff, though, because he smirked. "Sorry."

"Mmmm I've told you not to apologize for that. You know I love it." Hades eased into their spot out front, and then he got out. Persephone knew better than to open the door. Rule four had been added to the list a week before. It was simply 'Do not open your own door or pull out your own chair if I'm around.' The punishment was no dessert, which seemed a rather simple punishment, but Persephone had recently become absolutely obsessed with a bakery near Tower One that specialized in flavors from other Pantheons. 

She found she had developed a particular addiction to their Tres Leches, and Hades often stopped on the way home to get her two servings. Last Thursday, she'd opened her door to get out, and then she'd spent the next thirty two hours dreaming about her missing dessert. Persephone had forgotten, since her one forbidden desire had been given to her, how one's mind became fixated on something one wanted but couldn't have. "Thank you." She grinned, stepping out of the car with his help.

"My pleasure." Hades hummed, as he offered his elbow. She took it in both of hers, leaning into him. Persephone loved the dynamic their marriage had developed, in public barring the rare occasion when she _needed_ him to be in charge, Hades had made it clear that everything he did was with his Queen's approval, and that her word often overrode his. Behind closed doors, barring the occasionally desire he had to 'top from the bottom', as he called it, he was in charge, and she luxuriated in how peaceful, safe, and satisfied she felt surrendering all of herself to him. 

The elevator was empty, for a change, though Persephone had given Hermes a quick cheek kiss when he'd coming bounding out. If the tiny imp attendant wasn't always present, Persephone knew Hades would be doing more than holding her close under his arm. She didn't mind, as she was giddy to see her new office. There'd been a delay in the furniture and the executive ensuite, so she had been performing most of her 'Queenly' duties from the throne room before and after judgments. Now, the thought that she was going to be within walking distance from his office was a temptation she awaited with pleasure. 

She waved at Galina and Calla, as the elevator opened, then approached the newly installed desk that would soon host the PA she would hire. Persephone had already narrowed down the applicants to fifteen. "I'm ready." She huffed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Hades pressed his back to the door, which had once been glass but was now a rich, solid wood. The massive windows that opened up to the floor had been replaced early on as well, with solid walls like his and Hecate's office, with small windows. Where their's had standard horizontal blinds, hers had vertical ones made of some wood. That was all she could see from outside. 

"Welcome to your little slice of Elysium, your Majesty." Hades practically purred, opening the door, and bowing low. Persephone felt warmth and humidity come wafting out, along with the smell of the mortal realm in spring, and she stepped in. 

"Oh my.... Aidoneus." She found herself covering her mouth as she took in the office. The floor wasn't hard or carpeted, like many other offices, but instead was covered in a small layer of soil that had a carpeting of the softest grass. That was, except small paths that led to the two chairs on one side of her desk and the sofa tucked against a wall.

By the door was a painting of a waterfall that stretched to the ceiling, but ended at a three foot rock display. That rock display housed a small fountain that had been built into the wall to trickle down into a little creek that ran the length of the wall opposite the sofa. She followed it with her her eyes, to a small pool against the window that framed the exterior wall. Above that pool was obviously a grow light hidden in fake clouds that extended from the wall, obviously concealing the controls that fed the water back into a pipe system. 

She turned, trying to breathe as she followed the path, taking in the planters of fresh soil that were spaced along the walls, nearly blending in with the warm woods that had been paneled over the unfeeling walls. Some of the planters had ivy hanging down, creating curtains that hid little crevices, and what appeared to be a mini-fridge. The lights that were high above in the ceiling were standard Tower One issue, but sconces shaped like branches and seven chandeliers shaped like flocks of golden birds in flight housed emitted the unmistakable warmth and glow of grow lights. 

Her desk, and all the furniture, was cedar wood, and Persephone could taste the air and soil of Sicily in it when she touched the desk. Her chair was made of a cream colored imitation leather that matched the material of the sofa, and was as high backed as her throne. There were embroidered roses, butterflies, and skulls along the edges, and a little platform where her feet could rest, so they didn't dangle. 

She glanced over at Hades, uncovering her mouth, and he nodded at another door. She hurried to it, stepping, and she gave a squeal of delight all over again. The floor was cedar wood, with tint mats made of moss that led from the shower to a wardrobe. The sprawling counter had a sink, with a glass tap that water flowed from like a waterfall. The mirror above was opened, revealing shelves with makeup, brushes, and hair styling tools identical to her collection at home. More grow lights lined the wall, though no plants were present, but they warmed her skin with all comfort of a sunrise after a spring storm. 

She turned off the water, skipping along the moss mats, to open the shower. The lack of a shower head confused her, until Hades reached past and pressed a smooth, glass panel beside a shelf of shampoo and conditioner. He yanked his arm back, and the entire ceiling burst to life, cascading a summer downpour into the shower. Persephone extended a vine, pressing it again, and the water disappeared. 

"Aidoneus, it's too much... you did too much." She spun, gazing up at him, feeling a bit too warm in her long sleeve dress. His eyes were glowing in adoring scarlet, making her mind spin. "I've told you not to spoil me-"

"And I've told you you deserve the best!" He scooped her up, and she laughed. "You love it though, right?"

"I do. I really do." Persephone hummed, stealing his lips with a kiss as he carried her back out to her office. "Mmm wanna break in my desk or my sofa." 

"The fuck kinda question is that, Sweetness." She preened at his sarcastic snort, attacking his tie with a fervor. "Both." His lips descended on hers again, his tongue demanding, the growls in his chest saying how much he'd been fantasizing. 

Hades dropped Persephone delicately on her desk, typing in the code on the panel above her keyboard that would start the faux thunderstorm and mask the sounds of what promised to be a passionate hour. He slid her navy blue dress higher, pleased that she'd forgone stockings and garters. He'd developed a tendency of ripping them to shreds because it was quicker than unfastening them. He paused, breaking the kiss, knocking her hands from his belt lightly, when he encountered soft cotton and not her usual lace or silk. 

"Read it." She teased, and he looked down. The sight before him made his already rock hard cock turn to diamond. Printed over his favorite dessert was a simple phrase. 'If you're reading this, don't be gentle.' "Does the King approve?" She murmured. 

"Mmm, yes he does." Hades cupped her through them, unable to keep from smirking in wonder at how she never failed to surprise him. "And he's assuming his Little Goddess has added more like this to her collection?" He pressed his thumb down, rolling her need swollen clit through the fabric. 

Persephone mewled under him, making him gasp as she pulled him in for another, teasing kiss and nip. "Mmm, I thought it may help when I don't know how to ask with my words." The flush on her cheeks was so endearing. Hades Understood what she meant, because she often became a bumbling, blushing mess when she wanted him to take her harder than what he was doing. 

"Good girl, now... let's see if they make an effective gag. You know how loud you get when _Daddy_ plays rough." He began peeling them down, as she lifted her hips. Hades was exceedingly glad he'd developed the habit of locking his own office door, and had done the same with hers. Persephone finally undid his belt, and the intercom on her phone buzzed. 

"Your Majesties. Lady Demeter is here to see the King." Galina's voice sounded strained. 

"Fuck!" He growled, as Persephone gave a yelp of disbelief. He glanced down, satisfied he hadn't managed to wreck her intricate updo and pleased she'd worn clear gloss. His neglected arousal flexed in protest, as she fell back on the desk and whined. He slammed his finger on the button. "One moment." He snapped, stepping back to redo his belt and tuck his shirt back in. "She doesn't want to answer your calls for two weeks, and just shows up unannounced." 

"I don't know." He helped her down, typing the code to end the sound effects and raise the lights again with his other hand. Recovering his tie from where she'd tossed it, he began tying it as he opened his mouth to ask for clarification. "Maybe she's run out of priestesses to guilt me with and is coming for you again." 

Hades tucked an errant strand of hair back into her bow like hair design, wondering if he should advise her to heal the bite mark he'd left on her neck the night before, but decided against it. Her hands were beginning to shake, and tiny flowers began blossoming in her hair. It had been a week since she'd lost control. He opened the door, taking her hand in an effort to calm her. They stepped out, finding Demeter sitting primly in a black pinstripe suit with her hair done up in an almost identical style to her daughters. Her jewelry of choice was nearly identical too, but a single strand of diamonds as opposed to the double strands that Persephone had worn. 

"Mama."   
"Demeter."

Hades let Persephone step forward, though he longed to be between her and her mother. To his surprise, the Harvest Goddess rose to her feet and executed a prim curtsy. Something about her saccharine smile and cool demeanor made his spine tingle. "Your Majesties." 

"Please, come into my office." Persephone's voice sounded strained, and a bit despondent. Hades knew separation from her mother was hard on her, but Persephone had refused to talk about it. He hoped she was with the therapist she'd begun seeing the week before, when nightmares of Apollo had plagued her three nights in a row. 

"I'm here to see His Majesty, not the Queen." Hades bristled, as Demeter turned her eyes on him. 

"His Majesty is only available for walk ins on his open door Mondays. Right now, he and I are in conference over upcoming changes to our kingdom's plans for the upcoming year and the setting up of my office." Hades snapped his jaw shut as Persephone lifted her chin and released his hand. He saw Demeter's eyes narrow in on the magenta mark on her neck. "If you wish to see him any time in the next two hours, you must ask me to relinquish my reservations on his schedule." Hades swallowed a snort of laughter as Demeter clenched her fists, her smile almost faltering. "Or, you can join us in my office, which I was just getting to see. You'll be the first meeting I host in it, Lady Demeter." He watched as the green and purple goddess did her best to mask a look like she'd been slapped. 

"Very well." Hades contemplated telling Demeter that he had, for all intents and purposes, freed Persephone. However, if his wife hadn't informed her mother of that, then there was a reason. 

"Galina, please continue holding Aidoneus' calls, and could you fetch us some things for tea." Persephone normally didn't overstep Hades and ask Galina for things, but she could tell her mother was about to make some sort of power play, and she needed to make sure it was evident that she had power too. 

"If you check behind the vines on the fourth shelf in from the door, you'll find a brand new tea set, my Queen. The sugar bowl is freshly filled, as is the honey pot." Galina smiled sweetly, though her nearly clear eyes were cloudy with worry. Persephone swallowed hard, clearing her throat. "And I left fresh cream and bottles of water in the fridge under the next set of vines. Should I order cakes-"

"No, that will be all." Persephone offered her a grateful smile, as she stepped back to wave her mother past. "Aidoneus, love, could you please show Lady Demeter in." She wanted nothing more than to grab her mama and shake her into explaining her actions, but it was impossible without the risk of a blood feud. So, she needed to assert herself in a way that would still be respectful while showing she was deeply hurt and disturbed by her mama's actions. Using her name was the most effective way. 

As Hades ushered Demeter in, Persephone flashed him nervous smile. He kissed her hair softly, as she stepped in as well. She nearly crashed into her mother's still form, as the Harvest Goddess stared around in astonishment. "Kore... this is amazing. You haven't designed something so stunning since-"

"Hades designed it." She waved her mother to the sofa as Hades made his way to retrieve the tea set. Persephone manifested her diadem, as her mother turned and stared at her. "You see, he understands what I need to _thrive_. He would never dream of **suppressing** who I am, any part of me."

"I don't like what you're implying Kore-"

"My name is Persephone, Queen Persephone." She drew herself to full height, letting her authority she reserved for the throne room vibrate in her voice. There could be no mistake that Persephone was the one with the power in the room. "Your former High Priestess, Penelope, made the mistake of forgetting that. You don't want to know what _I_ did to her." She again pointed at the sofa beside the low table where Hades was filling cups with hot water he'd acquired somewhere. "Now, sit, and let's discuss the reason for your visit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The Surprise Underneath](https://www.kinkycloth.com/collections/lingerie-and-panties/products/dont-be-gentle-panties)


	49. Chapter 49

"What have you done with Penelope, and my other high priestesses?" Persephone picked up her cup and took a small sip as her mother stared at her in shock. "I want to see them." 

"Well, Penelope is in eternal torment in Tartarus, and the others are stuck on the beach until I figure out what punishments to issue them for murder." She crossed her knee, setting her cup on the small saucer atop it. "As for the neophytes and priestesses they brutalized, well, they're spending eternity with Mama Rhea. At least there they'll know love and affection." She watched as Demeter's eyes blew wide. "Oh, yes. I know all about Mama Rhea. I know what you did to conceive me, and I know that you hid the fact that I destroyed an entire army and tried to save my own temple because I have shade abilities." 

"Kor-"

"Her name is Persephone." Hades growled, as he extended a cup to her mother. "She isn't your baby anymore. Treat her like a woman." 

"She would still be my baby if it wasn't for you and Apollo."

"Never compare him to Apollo again!" Persephone warned, feeling the strings connecting her to shades flash in power, as a few fizzled into existence in her office. "Begone." She waved a hand, and they dissipated. Her mother looked uncertain for the first time. "Hades has done nothing but keep me safe and loved and adored. I fear nothing now, not even you." 

"See, the longer you stay with him in this wasteland, the longer you become tainted!" Her mother set the tea cup down, and Persephone kept her form poised and authoritative as Hades stood behind her seat. "He isn't capable of love. He only plays the role so society doesn't throw him out. You don't know what he's like when there's no crowd for him to act-"

"You mean how he didn't comfort you in Kronos' stomach?! He was practically a child! He'd been alone for over a decade! All he knew was dark and pain!" Persephone knew Hades' regrets over it, how he'd neglected her mother and Hestia until Poseidon arrived. "You can't hold that-"

"How about how he used to watch me in my gardens, when Hera and Hestia where gone. I know what he wanted, it's why Made it a point to show him how much I loathed him." Demeter looked murderous

"He was looking for connection!" Persephone took a sip of her tea in an effort to calm herself. "That was two thousand years ago, Demeter. Two fucking thousand years ago!" She didn't even care that she'd just earned herself five spankings or that her mama was glowering at her. "If you can't forgive him, fine, but you need to get used to the fact that he's my husband. I'm his queen, and he's going to be the father of your grandchildren!" 

"You're pregnant?!" Persephone watched as her mother nearly fell off the sofa. Hades made a strangled noise behind her, but she shook her head. 

"No, but I probably will be in the next few years." She felt and heard Hades relax, as her mother regained her seething composure. "You were always so concerned with hiding me, repressing me, that it never occurred to you that I wanted to fall in love! I've always wanted marriage and children! Always! You never cared to ask, never!" She felt tears sting her eyes as Demeter grew darker, almost forest green. "You knew that your methods to conceive me would result in fertility powers and maybe shade abilities, but you kept me repressed! I constantly felt like I was being smothered. I use to have nightmares about you locking me in a doorless greenhouse! All I ever wanted was to be _me_ , not a pink carbon copy of you!" 

"Sweetness." A pale pink kerchief came into view, and Persephone took it.

"And you see what happened when you chased that dream? You were drugged, nearly eaten by Cerberus, almost trapped in Tartarus, raped by Apollo, and forced into a marriage with this monster-"

"I married him willingly! I love him, why can't you understand that?!" Persephone wiped her soaked cheeks, feeling her chest tight. "He's my everything. He has been since the first time we touched. He isn't a monster! He's the sweetest, loving, most doting husband anyone could dream of." 

"Then obviously you haven't discovered the disgusting tastes he has in the bedroom." Demeter looked all too smug, but Persephone wasn't about to let her have that victory.

" _Daddy_ , do I know about your disgusting bedroom tastes?" She looked up at him, watching his as his face turned nearly navy in his blush. 

"Y-y-yes, Little Goddess, though I'd rather not discuss our sex life in front of your mother." He cast a slightly terrified glance at Demeter. "I'm not sure she wants to hear about-"

"My penchant for spankings and being choked? Yeah, you're probably right." Persephone leveled her mother with cool regard. "Or maybe you're referring to how my tendency to sentence cruel and wicked people to extreme punishments makes him throw himself at my feet and worship me?"

"You have utterly corrupted my baby!" Demeter shot up, and Persephone did as well. 

"I'm not a baby!"

"Order her to return to me now!"

"No!"

"Persephone, I command you to speak honestly. Do you wish to return with your mother or do you wish to remain here with me?" 

Persephone felt the command seize her tongue, then she felt the prior command nullify it. She realized that Hades had understood she wasn't ready for the world to know what they'd done. Somehow, it was important, but she didn't know why. "I want to remain with you, but I just wish my Mama would understand I love you." 

"I refuse to order her to do anything that makes her unhappy." Hades sighed, and Persephone felt more angry tears burst free. "If you can't accept us, Demeter, then you need to leave. Persephone has tried to reach out to you. She's explained to you through letters and now three times in person that she loves me. Everyone else has accepted-"

"Everyone accepts if because it was only a matter of time before you claimed a bride!" Persephone slotted herself between them, refusing to let her mother lay a hand on him. "You didn't even have my blessing!"

"We have Hera's and hers trumps all!"

"Persephone, do not let him turn you into a monster! Do not let him make you into a baby factory! You've seen how Zeus treats Hera! You know Poseidon constantly-"

"Yes, Zeus treats Hera like garbage, and Amphitrite has just as many lovers as Poseidon does." Persephone fought hard to keep her rage in check at the comparisons. It was unfair that their reputations constantly colored her husband's. "Hades is a monogamist. By all rights, he should be afraid that I'll be unfaithful, after all, the one fertility goddess in my life refused to teach me how to control my powers! I'm having to learn from Eros and Aphrodite!" 

"Sweetness, please, will you calm-"

"No!" Persephone stepped forward to her mother, so she was chest to chest. "Would you be this adamant if I had married Eros or Ares or Hephaestus?!"

"Hephaestus wouldn't own you like a slave. That's what you are. That diadem is just for show!" She reached up, knocking the crown from Persephone'd hair. "You're just his toy. You'll see, he'll grow tired of you and follow in Zeus' footsteps." Silence fell between them, and Persephone was breaths away from losing her cool. 

"Demi, you need to go. When her eyes go red like that, shit gets ugly. I can't guarantee your safety." Persephone barely heard Hades over the rage in her ears. 

"If she isn't returned to me within the week, then I will follow through with the message Penelope delivered." Persephone held her mother's gaze, pleading silently with her to understand. She didn't want to give to the fiery need to protect Hades. "You and your perverted, unfaithful brothers will suffer. You'll all suffer." 

"Mama, I love you. I do, but... Persephone held her palm out, feeling her scepter appear. "But... but... until you come to accept that I am never leaving my husband you... you..." Her resolve nearly broke as her mother's eyes blew wide and Hades sucked in a breath.

"Sweetness! Don't! Don't! You'll never forgive yourself!"

"You're banned from the Underworld l. You may cross our borders no more without our specific permission." She slammed it down, sobbing in anguish as her mother howled in fury. Persephone choked on her tears as her royal guard appeared, faces expressionless, and seized her mother. Then they were gone.

"Kore.... Kore." Hades caught Persephone as her knees gave out, cradling her to his chest. She was losing it, her hair growing wild, snot and tears ruining her scarce makeup, as the empty planters burst to life with brambles and thorns. "Honey, Sweetness, why would you do that to yourself?" He wasn't angry, not at all.  
His heart ached for his wife. He'd seen her at her most strong, and now he was seeing her at her most broken. 

"Because, she'll never accept us. She'll keep coming down here, starting fights." He curled her into him, falling onto the sofa to rock her softly as she sobbed. "I can't take that anymore! I can't take her insulting you! She needs to understand!" Her words were broken and slurred, but Hades didn't care. He knew what she was saying. "This is the only way she'll stop."

"I wish you wouldn't have. I understand why you did though." Hades kissed her hair, sighing at the way she had been reduced to wordless gurgles of emotions in his arms. He didn't speak more, knowing at that moment all she needed was a place to be brokenhearted. 

_I wish she hadn't banned her, but I can't lift it. What is she going to do? She threatened to make me pay, but how?_

Hades fished his phone out, opening the group chat.

 **The Supreme Three  
Big Blue Daddy: Perse just banned Demi from our kingdom. BOLO for repercussions across yours**

He tossed his phone aside. His goddess needed his full attention, and he would give it to her. Still, he tried to make sense of her threats. _How can she make me pay? She's capable of so much, but what can she do that she thinks will force my hand?_ he stroked Persephone's back, as her hair inched along the ground. 

He rested his cheek on her hair, as more petals and some full flowers began falling down and sprouting around. Butterfly weed filled her hair, as yellow carnations ringed her head. Cyclamen, orange gillies, petunias, and red dahlias were filling the grass and planters. "Oh, Kore." Hades sighed, as she lifted her tear smeared face. The second half of his day's surprise would have to wait.

"I need to call..." Hades hadn't seen her look so torn, even when confessing about Apollo. "I need to call Trite and Hera. They should know. I did this, so I should tell them."

"Let's go get your phone from my office then." Hades eased Persephone from his lap, though he kept her face tucked into his side in case anyone was out on the main area. Luckily there wasn't. 

Passing Persephone her purse, Hades pulled his own phone out and watched as Pomelia uncurled herself from the sofa cushion she'd been napping on and crawled into Persephone's lap. The Queens would make sure their husbands knew what was happening. He pressed Hecate's contact number. No sooner had the phone begun to ring, than Cerberus came bounding through a wall. "No...go back-" Persephone hit him with a pained look, and Hades conceded. 

"What'd you break now?" Came Hecate's greeting.

"Not me. Persephone just banished Demeter and put a ban on her entry into the Underworld."

"Fuck me..."

"Exactly." Hades rubbed his right temple, as he began pacing. "Listen, I know Demeter's one of your friends, and I hate to ask, but she made some pretty heated threats."

"You want me to spy on her?" Hades hated that he was admitting it, but there was no getting around it. They needed to know what Demeter planned to do. "I'll put my best on it."

"Thanks." Hecate ended the call, and Hades opened a text to Galina.

**Hold my calls for another ten or so. Also, Demeter has been banished, not my doing.**

Persephone looked up as she ended the three way call. "Do you have any meetings?" She didn't want to be alone, and Eros and Psyche had finished up at her house and were taking the kids to the beach. Cerberus was whining and rubbing his head on her hand. 

"Just some conference calls. Do you want to take a nap right here before we do lunch?" Persephone wasn't tired, not really, but she knew this was his way of saying 'feel free to curl up with my jacket and cry your eyes out'. She did have a stress headache coming on, too. 

"Yeah..." Sure enough her husband shed his coat and carried it to her. She curled up under it, cradling Lia to her chest, while Cerberus licked her salt caked cheeks. "Thanks... I love you. I'm sorry-"

"Sweetness, you did what you needed. Don't apologize." Hades lips on her hair were soft. "Now, rest a bit. Then we'll go anywhere you like for lunch." She nodded, closing her eyes, and let her tears fall again as Hades stroked her hair.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning:
> 
> Stressful childbirth scene (not graphic)

Hades rubbed his temples, as he stared at the computer screen. After lunch, Artemis and Athena had appeared, obviously having heard through Zeus and Hestia what had occurred, and absconded with his wife. There had been words like 'girls' time' and 'blow off some steam' and 'target practice... no, not animals, well not real ones'. The last bit had given him pause, because Artemis had looked particularly devious. 

Either way, he'd received no less than fourteen pictures messages from Athena showing Persephone dressed in one of Artemis' silver tunics, leather bracers, a quiver, and holding a bow. It did not look like they were on Olympus, and one of the pictures may or may not have show one if the forest bathing pools where Artemis' favored neophytes and priestesses slept during full moons. Persephone definitely looked like she was blowing off steam, as in each photo she was engaged in either loosing an arrow or leaping from a branch with her sickle drawn. It was better than drinking, though, so Hades wasn't complaining. 

"Fates... this migraine." Hades rubbed his head, before reaching for the the bottle of pain killers in his drawer. _Haven't had one this bad since the mortals stopped calling me Aidoneus._ He popped two in his mouth, downing them with a swallow of coffee. 

"So, nothing really happening on the Demeter front." Hecate's voice came from the sofa, and Hades yelped a string of profanities that made Pomelia uncurl herself from the coat on the sofa. The witch goddess hadn't been there moments before. "She's just been visiting her temples, which isn't uncommon for her in the spring." She plucked Pomelia up, rubbing her head softly. The pup was just like Persephone sometimes, small, adorable, and just in need of a good cuddle to keep her content. 

"Good, but keep your folks on her. The last time she visited her temples, we ended up facing a cleansing of her priestesses." Hades and Persephone had kept it quiet, for the most part, in because most Olympians didn't give a shit about mortals. They didn't want any of the other gods and goddesses to get ideas. 

"There is one thing, that I honestly don't see as weird, but you might." Hecate flicked her finger at the empty space before is desk, using her powers to project a three dimensional image. It was the ruined village and Temple of Kore. 

Demeter stood in the road, arms outstretched, as plants, vines, and grasses began ripping the dirt open, crumbling the village, and burying even the poisoned well. In a little over a minute, the village was completely gone, buried under what had looked like fifteen feet of fresh, untainted soil. With a lifting of her left hand, a group of mortals leading donkey and horse pulled carts of stone and wood began trickling from the woods. She disappeared almost immediately, leaving the temple ruins untouched. 

"I mean, weird, but that's understandable. The village sits outside of her estate. When the raiders destroyed it, Demeter should have rebuilt it in the first place. Instead She chose to-"

"Pretend it didn't exist... yes. You told me." Hecate waved a hand, dispelling the image. "That is the only thing she's done out of the ordinary all day. Demeter doesn't usually reveal herself to mortals, except for specific blessings." 

"I know... I don't think that's cause for worry though." He leaned forward to save the last spreadsheet on the weekly soul count sentences. "Thanks I know she's your friend, and-"

"Yes, she is, but you're my king. I swore allegiance to you, and now I've sworn allegiance to Persephone. You know me, work before pleasure." Hecate waved a hand. "Anyways, my senses are telling my Thanatos is in the breakroom playing ping pong again." She fizzled away in a haze of incense. 

He glanced at the clock, seeing he still had half an hour until he was due to leave, but he didn't want to go home to an empty house. Luckily, his reprieve came with the solid _thump thump_ of a summoning. A glimmer of friendly affection filled him, as he stood. Stepping through the either, he felt the magic of his temple surround him, cloaking him in the formal black robes. He followed the steps up from the Underworld Gate, which was invisible to mortals, into the torchlit altar room. 

"Arastoo, I have heard your summons." Hades had always admired how the acoustics of the Necromanteion turned voices into deep, drumming, bass echoes instead of the trumpeted, brass of the others' temples. He approached the figure prostrate before the altar. "I had plans to visit you by the next week, but situations had... Arastoo?" Hades realized the man was trying to stand, but he was weeping profusely. "Speak to your King."

"My wife...Eliina, she... she..." Hades seized the man by his elbows, yanking him up. "The childbirth... it's been a day and a half! We cannot transport Hera's temple, and Hera's midwives are too frightened to enter-"

"Show me!" Hades felt his heart pound as he gestured the sobbing man forward. He followed, doing his best to get an idea of the situation. The halls were mostly empty, as they passed, though a hand full of young novices were carrying a pot of fresh water to a door. The door had streaked blood like a hand print on it. He snatched the pot from them, carrying it easily, as Arastoo opened the door. "By the Fates." 

Hades could smell the blood and fluids and vomit, though it was obvious the two priestesses present had done their best to clean. They were his priestesses though, trained in honoring the dead. "No! No men! It Is badluck-" One turned, flustering as she saw Hades' blue skin and black crown. "My Lord... my Lord..." He never masked his presence for his temple, though he had taken on his mortal appearance to pose for their paintings. The common folk couldn't handle the true appearances all that well, even in art.

"You're fine, Nelda. Now... what is going wrong?" Hades reached out to touch the woman laying on her side on the bed moaning. Her eyes were unseeing, as her lips cracked and leaked. Her skin should have been slicked with sweat, pliant, and flushed, but it was pale, dry, and cold. "She is dehydrated, and exhausted, but she isn't close to death." His gaze traveled to her swollen belly, pushing the sheet down. 

He touched the swell, reaching to the tiny soul inside, and his mind exploded in panicked pain. "We need to get the baby out now! He is fading!" Hades didn't know what to do. He wasn't a healer, and the barely masked looks of terror from his priestesses said they didn't know either.

"We can do no more. That is why I summoned you, my Lord. If my... my son... if he is to be born to your realm, would you carry him-" 

"No." Hades was not going to let his happen. Arastoo and Eliina had served him faithfully since they arrived as orphans three weeks apart from the same village. He had gotten Hera to bless their wedding three years before. He couldn't let their first child die. "I have no experience will child birth or healing, but Persephone." 

Hades covered his wedding ring, reaching out through the tendrils of his temple that connected to his kingdom. "Persephone," he cast his power out, letting it summon his Queen. Unsure if it worked or not, having never tried to summon her before, he sent the urgency of his need to her to Cerberus. 

Persephone let loose a wild laugh, as she. and Artemis slumped together against the tree, watching as Artemis' hounds chased the poacher away. "Oh my gods, this was fun!" They had been hunting the three men for the better part of four hours, never really hurting them, but making them regret their decisions of poaching in Artemis' sacred forests and spying on her girls' bathing. Artemis usually transformed them into game, allowing her or their own dogs to kill them. However, she said sometimes she just did this so they could spread warnings.

"I told you!" Artemis threw her arm around her, resting her head on her hair. "Feeling better?" She huffed, Squeezing her arm softly.

"Not as angry." Persephone had to admit that letting her pent up anger out during their 'hunt' had been a much more cathartic alternative to drinking and crying. "Shame Athena couldn't stay." She threw a smirk at Artemis, who she was certain had noticed a certain member of her huntresses stripping down nearby to change into their slightly warmer evening clothes was missing. 

"Hmmm." Artemis hummed in agreement, and Persephone swore her purple gaze dropped to the neck of her tunic before flicking back out across the glade. 

"I feel funny." Persephone felt an odd sensation in her chest, and she swore she could hear Hades calling her. "Artemis.... Artemis!" She clung to her friend, as the sensation grew to a hard pull, not painful, but demanding. 

"Persephone! You're being summoned!" Artemis' eyes were wide with awe. "Oh my gods... you're beautiful-" Her sentence was cut short as Cerberus appeared, thankfully in his 'mortal realm' form, and began barking. "Cerberus! What are you! Persephone let me-"

Persephone didn't think, she just knew that it was Hades' voice. Cerberus has confirmed it. She stepped into the ether without thinking, not aware she had dragged her friend along with her. 

The room she found herself in was lit by torchlight, reeking of boiling water, mortal blood, sweat, tears, and an unfamiliar scent. Two women shrieked on shock, as a man sobbed into the limp form of a woman on a bed. "Aidoneus?" She found him standing over the woman, his palms on her swollen belly. The woman jerked suddenly, shouting weakly as she tossed her head. 

"Persephone, the baby... their my priest and priestess, help them." He looked absolutely.

"I don't know-" Persephone stepped forward, as the two women who were obviously also his priestesses looked her over in shock. She realized, belatedly, she had been changed into an elegant, black peplos, snd her diadem was impossible to hide. 

"I do! Persephone, go to her head." Artemis tossed her hunting gear aside. "I need you to use your fertility powers to give her energy." The huntress strode to the bed, pulling her triple moon diadem blazing in firelight. "King Hades, please, hold torso her still for me. Priestesses, bring fresh towels and cool cloths.

Persephone rushed to her husband's side, dropping to kneel beside him as he reached across the woman. She placed her hands on her dry, cold face. "You summoned me..." she breathed. "I felt you." 

"You did? Amazing." Hades worried expression softened for a moment, as he leaned forward to kiss her brow. "Focus, my love." Persephone relaxed her mind, reaching out like she had when she healed Ares in the woods and then Hades palm earlier in the week when he cut it cooking. 

"Artemis..." Persephone felt the presence of the baby too, just as weak as its mother. Something was wrong with its shoulder. "The baby... its shoulder." It was injured somehow, but she couldn't focus on it to heal it.

"I know." She looked down to see Artemis was pressing on the woman's abdomen in a weird way. "Focus on the mother. The baby should be fine if the mother is stable." Persephone focused her powers on the woman, watching as clarity returned to her eyes. 

"Shhh.... shh..." she soothed her, offering a gentle smile. "We're here... um..."

"Eliina, her name is Eliina." Hades murmured. Then, the woman began to scream and jerk. 

"Good girl! Good girl! Fight!" Artemis crooned, and Persephone held her head still, as Hades kept her body still. "Hades, when I say, turn her over onto her knees. Persephone, keep her energy up and don't let her quit!" 

Persephone felt her heart pounding, as she kept the woman's eyes trained on her. "My name is Persephone, Eliina. I'm the goddess of Spring. Lady Artemis is going to help you, just take my energy. We're going to bring this baby into the world." 

"Smell like jasmine......GAH!" The woman gave an ear splitting cry, again, that made it nearly impossible to hear Artemis yell.

"Now!" 

Persephone loosened her grip, so that when Hades turned the woman, she still held her head. The woman's eyes were filled with tears, as her vitality restored, allowing her to feel the pain of her labor renewed. She roared with a ferocity that made Persephone vibrate with hope and life and power. Then, Persephone felt something that made her hope flicker. Something deep in the woman's womb ripped as the strangeled cry that filled in the air mingled with the woman's. 

"He's here! He's here! He's fine!"

"She's hemorrhaging!" Persephone shoved Hades away, then ducked around Artemis, who had just stood, cradling the squalling newborn. "Turn her now!" No sooner had Hades rolled Eliina, then the bright, red blood began pouring out. "No! No! No!" She slapped her hands over her belly, tossing her head back, and crying out with her own fear. She wouldn't let this baby lose his mother. 

The woman lifted off the bed, hovering in a white light, before Persephone eased her power away. "Eliina, you're fine." She breathed, stepping back as Artemis stared at her in wonder, the two priestesses dropped to their knees, the husband half crawled into his wife's bed, and Hades was watching her in adoration. 

"My baby! My baby! Lady Artemis!" Eliina's voice was frantic, as she held out her hands.

"May I?" Persephone lifted the baby from Artemis' arms. He was still screaming, as tiny little shocks of pain came from his shoulder. She pressed her lips to his skin, breathing her healing energy into him, feeling his shoulder fall back into place as the swelling to dissipate. Then, ever so carefully, she eased herself down to the Eliina's side. "He's beautiful." She sighed, passing him over. 

"My Lady Persephone." Eliina's eyes were full of tears as she gazed in wonder at her son, who had begun rooting at her chest. "You and Lady Artemis-" Persephone barely registered the sound of deer running through brush and knew Artemis was gone. "Oh... she-"

"Must attend to her duties with the moon." Persephone reached forward and helped the new mother unclasp her birthing robes so the baby could feed. The door opened snd closed, and Persephone knew the other priestesses had gone to take their own rest. Her husband's hand landed on her shoulder, softly. 

"Thank you, my Lord, for summoning the goddesses. It means more to us than you could know." The man, who finally stuttered and bowed to Persephone, wiped his eyes. "My name is Arastoo, my Sweet Lady. My wife and I have been humble devotees to the Unseen One since childhood. How may we ever repay your blessing?" 

"By building her an altar beside mine." Hades' voice was so rich, so warm, that Persephone was drawn up into his arms by the sound alone. "You see, Persephone is Goddess of Spring, but she has also been my wife for almost a month."

"My Queen, we shall add you to our worship and temples forthwith!" The man exclaimed, even as his wife finally looked up. The baby had drifted off in her arms. 

"What will you call him?" She asked, reaching out to touch his puckered lips.

"Erasmus." Eliina breathed. Though Persephone had fed her energy to sustain her through whatever it was Artemis had done, it was easy to see the woman was still utterly exhausted.

"M-m-may I?" Persephone held out her hands, taking the new baby into her arms. "What a fitting name, Erasmus... 'dearest one'." His tiny breaths tickled her cheek, as she cradled him close to her. "The first born of my King's favored priest and priestess, and the first born in under my rule. You're the first baby I've ever helped come to world, and the first I've ever healed. You will be quite dear to me too, little sweet one." She pressed his lips to her brow, breathing out with a power she'd never felt before.

"Erasmus, you shall grow tall and strong of body, wise and just in mind, loving and generous in nature, pure of heart, and protective in spirit." The babe stirred, giving a tiny whimper, as she watched a tiny crown of pink morning glories filled his sticky hair. 

"Thank you! Thank you!" The parents gushed, but Persephone paused in passing the child back, when Hades place a finger on his brow. 

"My Queen has blessed your person, now I bless your life. Erasmus, you will never know want, you will have knowledge in business and skills in trade. Your life will be fortunate of purse, for as long as you wear this mortal flesh." A blue light sparkled off his skin, and Persephone passed the slumbering boy back to his parents. "Come, my love, let them rest." She allowed Hades to pull her up, into his embrace, and together they stepped through the ether.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sets tissue box next to water bottles*  
> Smut followed by tear jerking fluff

"That tickles." Persephone breathed out a giggle as Hades danced a flower he'd obviously stolen from One of her arrangements downstairs across her bare rear. She wriggled her hips, trying to get away, only for his lips to descend onto her skin with a brush instead. "Mmmm so does that." She wasn't complaining. 

After coming home, they'd had dinner then walked the dogs. She'd gotten in the shower, expecting him to join, but Hades had gotten a call from Zeus and Poseidon. So, she'd laid down while he bathed. She'd been almost asleep when he'd appeared in a mist of body wash and steam, teasing her softly back to awareness "I know" His lips pressed to the other side. "I thought, mmm." His lips touched the base of her spine. "My Sweetness could use a soft touch tonight." Persephone shivered reflexively.

"Soft, hard, so long as its your touch, it's all I want." Hades smiled into the tangle of damp hair on his wife's shoulder blades. He breathed in that fresh spring and honey suckle aroma. "Do you want me to use my powers?" He nearly forgot how to breathe at the question. He never thinks about the heady, addictive aroma of her newly developed fertility essence, until she mentions it. His mind nearly demands it, the addiction of the way it makes her taste coating his tongue. 

"No, maybe later." It took all of his will power to say that. She'd been working hard to keep them under control, thanks to Eros and Aphrodite's training. Although, Eros said he's surprised Hades hadn't been turned to a slobbering mess yet. Apparently it could have that effect on some beings. "I just want to be us." He brushed her hair aside, tasting the tempting dip of her neck. 

"We're always us." Persephone's tone was teasing, but Hades could see how her lips turned up in a smile when he lowered his form over her back, letting her feel how bare he was. 

"You know what I mean." He murmured softly. It had been a couple days since they'd been slow and gentle, usually because Persephone was all too eager to explore her ever widening sexual preferences. Hades was more than ecstatic to help her, but after the day they'd had, he didn't want anything more than to be together, as soft and loving as their first time. 

"Let me roll over so I can kiss you, then." Persephone turned as soon as Hades' weight lifted, and she slipped her hands up is bare arms. His crimson eyes were practically glowing, identical coal embers in the winter sky of his skin. "You're so beautiful." She sighed, unable to stop herself as she pulled him down. 

"So are you." His lips were soft, like a butterfly exploring a new flower, and Persephone could feel her arousal simmering into her veins. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing at the silk of his hair, as she curled her right leg over his hip. He was already diamond hard against her curls, but not pressing for relief. "You were so brave this afternoon." His sigh made her eyes slip shut. "So, so brave." There wasn't any sound of worship, just the breath of a husband's pride in his wife. She sucked at his lip with a happy hum. 

"Is that what's got you so tender, Aidoneus?" She forgot she'd even asked the question when Hades kissed her with languid grace. Their tongues met, dancing, parting for him to graze her upper lip, then back together. His fingers on her skin, dancing along her curves, over her ribs, along the swell of her hips, and back were an inquiry and invitation at once. Even as their lips met in muted sighs and moans, there was no demand, no rush in the moments. 

"Yes, yes it is." Persephone was confused by his whispered reply, until her touch addled mind recalled her question. He moved against her, the slightest of rocks that sent a roll of pleasure up her spine. "You feel ready, Kore, are you ready?"

"Yes!" She crooned when his lips pulled sweetly at her neck. Then his hand was between them, sliding his firm length through her soaked curls, down, until he was center. With a short, chest deep sighs, he was easing into her with gently, leisurely thrusts. Persephone arched her body up to his, unable to breathe at the tenderness of his touch.

Hades drank in Persephone's pleasure drunk expression as he finally sank fully inside of her. As always, she was impossibly tight, infinitely wet, and unmistakably perfect. "I love you." He whispered, breathing in the natural floral fragrance of her skin when he withdrew slowly, easing back into her. As much as he loved her unleashing her pheromones to drive him wild, tasting her this way, just the flavor of what he did to her, was just as intoxicating.

"I love you." Her other leg, so flexible from years of gymnastics and swimming and dancing, wrapped around him. It only served to let him slip deeper, angling up so his thrusts found the perfect space, and her velvet walls fluttered with his touch. Her fingers mapped his scarred back, as always, making him feel as flawless as her own flesh was. 

Words became uneeded as Persephone's soft lips began moving along his neck, throat and chest. She was meeting him with equally fluid rocks of her hip, and each motion had her whimpering and groaning. Still, he rested his weight on his left forearm, never pausing in their tender motions, to reach his right hand between them. The whimper of delight she made when he found her need swollen clit made his own breath catch. "Aidoneus, don't stop!" 

"Never," He stroked her cheek, burying his face in her hair, as they moved. The smell of her arousal was filling the air, as petals fell to his skin. She was so close, Hades knew her tells, knew, as he rolled his thumb over her with another inward thrust, that she was dangling on the edge. "Will you come for me, Sweetness?" He murmured, even as her nails bit gently into her back as she sucked hard at his shoulder. 

"Come with me. It's b-b-better when w-w-we do." Hades found her lips, letting his eyes fall shut, losing himself in her touch. He kept his own rolls and flicks gentle, enough to keep her on the edge. He relished the sensations, taste, touch, smell, and sounds. Everything was Persephone, his Queen, his love, his sanctuary. "Yes! Yes!" 

"Close, love." Hades' voice was deep, breathless, vibrating her lips as he sighed. "So close." Persephone was hanging by a breath. She was almost to the breaking point. She clung to him, silencing his own groans with her lips as she beckoned him to join her. She couldn't, wouldn't, fall over the edge without him. His thumb rolled her, filling her core with intense pleasure, as his thrusts became shorter, deeper, but just as smooth. He was nearly there, and her heart couldn't take it. She clenched herself around him, slipping her fingers into his hair, and he pinned her to the mattress. 

Hades gave a shout she silenced with her tongue, as she exploded around him. She found feel him filling her, like always, the fertility goddess within her satiated by his release. Her pulse roared, as their kiss broke, their cries of ecstasy filling the room. His weight pressed into her, sweat slicked chest pinning her breasts as he trembled, hips jerking. "Oh, Kore...my Kore." Persephone let her head spin and soar, as only his body kept her from lifting as high as the ivy she'd caused was reaching. 

"Aidoneus..."She whimpered at the loss of his still hard member slipping from her, but she didn't protest long because he didn't roll off of her as usual. His body was trembling still, but not from release. It was only his back, beneath her hands. "Aidoneus?" Persephone felt something hot hit her shoulder, and she gasped in surprise. "Hades, why are you crying?" She wriggled under him, until his closed, weeping eyes were even with hers. "Aidoneus?"

"Because you love me!" She felt like her heart exploded all over again, and she cradled her King down to her chest. His arms went around and under her, and Persephone stroked his shaking back. Hades hadn't cried since the night she named Apollo, but this was different. "Because, I never thought... I never believed I could have this. I never believed I deserved love."

"Of course you do! Oh, Aidoneus." Persephone stroked his back, kissing his hair, and did her best not to tear up as he sniffled and kissed her sternum softly. Then he kissed lower, down, until his lips landed on her belly. There, he paused wiping his cheeks on her skin, then his eyes met hers. His expression was a juxtaposition of sad and hopeful, like he'd suddenly realized he was dreaming and was terrified he'd wake up. "What is it?"

"You told Dem...your mother, that you want to h-h-h-have a...a... b-b-baby." Hades stutter was so adorable, and Persephone felt trepidation in her heart. "You told M-m-m-my Mama y-y-you want to have a b-b-baby."

"Eventually, yes I do." She swallowed hard, as he blinked at her, looking for all the world like a male version of Athena being snapped out of a day dream. _What if he doesn't want kids? I never asked. He could have had children, but..._ His endearing stutter interrupted her thoughts.

"But you wa-wa-want t-t-to have m-m-my baby?" More tears broke free, and Persephone felt her own begin. She nodded, holding her breath, trying not to let fear ruin her mood. "Oh, my Kore." He kissed her belly again, hiding his face in it as his body shook again. 

_He's crying, because he wants a baby! He wants my baby!_ Understanding dawned in her mind. His brothers had scores of children, both with their wives and out in the world. Hades had been the perpetual Uncle, the doting Uncle, the place of refuge if they ever needed a place to escape the madness. 

"Oh Kore. I love you so much...C-can we tr-tr, can we tttry when your shot-"

"Can I think about it?" She sniffed hard, failing to keep her tears from falling. _I don't want to yet, but I'm not going to ruin his happiness by saying no right now._

"Of course, and... its okkkkay if y-y-you're not ready then. I'm just s-s-so happy you want to have my children." He lifted up, crawling over her to roll onto his back, and Persephone let him haul her into his arms. "I've always wanted kids.... I just never.... I didn't feel good enough-"

"Oh, Aidoneus. Of course you are." Hades choked out a sobbed laugh when his wife cradled his face in her hands. "I should have suspected seeing me with that baby today would stir up emotions." Her voice was so soft, so comforting. He nodded, kissing her wrists in turn when she dried his cheeks. "You're going to be the best Father in all of the worlds."

"Can they call me Baba?" He felt so much love as his loving wife nodded, kissing his nose, then his brow, then each cheek. It was the exact pattern he did for her when she was crying. 

"Of course they can." Persephone sniffled at the term she'd heard so often in the mortal villages. She knew she wasn't ready, but just having this conversation had healed something deep within her husband. She could see something change in the way he gazed at her, in the way he hooked a hand under her rear and turn her so she was straddling his waist. _My broken King.... how many more pieces can I help you put back together?_


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for delay, been crazy week adjusting to working remote!  
> Be safe  
> Wash ya hands  
> Maintain 6ft  
> Stay home and read fanfic!

"Do we have to go?" Hades groaned, as he watched his wife pull her elegant cocktail dress in the absolutely wrong direction, up, covering the silver and black bustier with matching thong. _I'm going to implode. I am literally going to implode if I have to stare at her in that all night, and behave. I don't know whether to throttle Amphitrite or send her the biggest, sparkliest, most expensive tiara, necklace, and earring set in the realms._

The dress was skin tight, starting at a a thick choker that came down to make one half sleeve. It concealed her right breast, but the left side was almost spilling out. The black material, dusted with the finest, crystals, shimmered as she moved, her ass looking so sinful Hades had to keep his eyes from rolling back into his head. Her legs were bare, moisturized with some scentless olive oil based cream that made the entrancing path down to to her 'Fuck Me _Daddy_ ' heels look more edible than normal.

They were black, impossibly high, with crystals painted down the back to the point of her heels. A plain strap came around her ankles, and her black painted toes with tiny, genuine diamonds, poked out. _I think I just need to throw my self at Amphitrite's feet and thank her until my throat bleeds_ Amphitrite had stolen Persephone away early in the morning, claiming Eros had tasked her with making sure Hades' Queen looked perfect for his Casino, Lucky in Love, themed party. "Your queen needs to remember she's nineteen not nineteen hundred. She was trying to buy a dress even Hestia would think is too modest." The love god had complained via speaker phone. 

Her hair was sweat up into an intricate updo of curls and braids, with her diadem looking absolutely powerful in the middle. Her black diamond chandelier earrings and diamond skull cartilage studs twinkled as she looked back to wink at him from under smoky mascara and sultry lashes. "Yes, we do. Eros will lose his shit if we don't show." The absolute tease in her eyes told him she had sworn on purpose. "That's what, fifteen?" 

"Do you want me to rip that dress off of you, tie you to the bed, and fuck you until you can't remember what your name is?" He prowled towards her, fully intending to pin her into the wall beside her vanity, her plump, glossed lips practically begging to be silenced. She stopped him, by grabbing his undone bowtie and tying it. "Oooo, you naughty thing." 

He blew out breath, trying to wrestle himself under control. Persephone was ovulating, and even though she'd put a tight lid on her pheromones being exuded from her skin, he'd gotten a mouth full when he put her legs over his shoulder in the shower and quenched his thirst on the combination of their mixed releases, giving his overly horny wife her seventh orgasm of the day.

"Garlic. Poseidon and Aphrodite said if you eat a clove of garlic you'll detox faster." 

"Fine! Fine!" Hades didn't want to purge his system. He wanted round five. "But why? It's at Zeus and Hera's. Why couldn't he have this casino night party of his at his island apartment, or one of the hotel." 

"You honestly don't know?" Hades squinted at his wife, as she blew a sweet breath on his face and slipped away from his grasp. "Well, partly because he's telling Zeus the truth about Psyche. Best place to drop any bomb on Zeus is in public, with alcohol, and Hera." He watched her look down at her hand as she grabbed her small clutch, and cast him a glance. "Come on, Your Majesty. Like you don't want me sitting in your lap all night in this outfit while you gamble." 

"Are you trying to kill me?" Hades had to close his eyes and bite his tongue, because Persephone had given the smallest wiggle of her hips. "Your ass is mine when we get home." He followed after her, doing his best to keep his thoughts straight. If Zeus was about to get dropped with the bomb a mortal had been living under his nose for the better part of a year, things might get messy. "Fine, but only because I may have harbored a fantasy or two of throwing dice with you on my arm." He snatched the keys, as she plucked them from the row of hooks, from her. "No way a _King_ rolls up on a casino party with his Queen driving." 

"If you insist." Persephone plucked a clove of garlic from the herb box and tossed it over her shoulder at her husband. Her flirty ruse had worked, again. It had been three days since she lost her engagement ring, and she was still too nervous to tell him. She'd even tasked three shades with retracing her every step the day she lost it. Not that it wasn't fun teasing her husband, because she reveled in it. 

"No... babies. Stay." Persephone leaned down to kiss Each of her eight babies in turn, even CB, who tried to wriggle away. She cast a glance at Hades who was shoving three pieces of gum in his mouth. Luckily, the lust in his eyes was dimming. "So, do I finally get to dance with my husband tonight?" She took his hand, even though it was a short walk into the garage. She wished they could take her car, but Hades had it at a shop getting it customized for her. 

"We haven't ever danced have we?" She slid in, humming when he reached over her to buckle her belt. She kissed his cheek, giggling at the way his cheeks flushed blueberry. "Definitely, but none of the clubby stuff." The door closed, and she turned, eager to continue the conversation. One thing she had discovered, was that despite what everyone thought, her husband was a hopeless romantic. "Slow dancing and ball room only." He beamed at her, red eyes glowing as he started the engine. 

"Mmmmm fine by me." She put her hand over his on the shifter, sighing happily at the way he quickly lifted her knuckles to a kiss before dropping back down to change gears to accelerate onto the boarder highway. Persephone knew she had to keep Hades focused, so he didn't ask too many questions. "'Thena and her girlfriend broke up." 

"Noooo, why? Did she cheat on my Tuto?" 

"No, Athena said it wasn't right for her." Persephone had been a bit surprised, but Artemis hadn't. "So don't be asking about her tonight." Hades nodded, as they approached the border gate. She beamed at the familiar centaur working the Olympus access. "Hey Fin!" The chestnut haired and coated man flashed her a broad grin before looking at Hades and clearing his throat. 

"Hello, your Majesties. As always, you're clear!" He waved them forward. She giggled as Hades rejoined the flow of traffic, if a bit faster than before. 

"What's so funny?"

"How everyone always acts like you're going to murder them for looking at me." She squeezed his hand, enjoying the deep, gravely laugh he emitted. He flashed her that heart thumping scoundrel grin, though they both knew he didn't care of anyone looked. 

"I wouldn't murder them for looking. I _like_ seeing the way you turn heads, Little Goddess." Persephone felt a surge of pride and affection. She loved how he never tried to control what she wore or how she carried herself. Yes, there were rules, but it had not escaped her notice that those rules never applied to her appearances or wardrobes. "I love how confident you get, and I definitely love knowing I'll be the only one pushing that dress up later." He made an easy turn, and the sprawling mansion came into view.

Cars were already being valeted off, and Persephone felt her stomach flutter in giddy anticipation. This was her first public event on Olympus as Queen, though she and Hades often went out in public back home. A flash caught her attention, as they approached the waiting valet, and her throat tightened. Already parked was the unmistakable gold paint of Apollo's luxurious car. 

"What..." Hades froze as he saw Persephone tense up. "Sweetness... oh." He followed her gaze, spotting the car, then whipped his head around. Fury and terror warred on her features, so he cupped her cheek softly. "He can't hurt you, Dread Queen." He thought about offering to leave, but Persephone shook her body softly and exhaled. Then she cupped his fingers on her cheek briefly.

"He's only here, because even Eros wouldn't risk slighting an Olympian." It irked Hades to no end that Zeus hadn't removed Apollo's status, but Persephone hadn't listed it in her sentencing. The valet assistant opened her door, extending a hand. "My husband had this thing about helping me out." He smirked as he unfolded himself and tossed his keys to the horrified looking valet. The Assistant also looked scared, so Hades hurried around to take Persephone's hand.

It was like watching a movie, the way she slipped from the car. Cameras flashed, but luckily she was staring into his eyes. Hades saw the flicker of insecurity last for a moment, until she stood before him, her diadem crystals even with his jaw. "Ready?" 

"Mmhmm." 

Hades looped her arm through his elbow, covering her hand with his other one as they past the Paparazzi to reach the door. One of Hera's overpriced party planners was waiting, clipboard in hand. She looked up, startled, then stepped aside wordlessly. "Every time. She's known me for fifteen years, and she acts like a spooked lamb if I so much as blink at her." He laughed, as they stepped into the mansion proper.

The main room was set up like a card room. Tables were placed around with dealers in black pants, white tuxedo shirts, and black bowties. He spotted four or five different card games, making a key note to see which goddesses were with who. If Hades got the urge to gamble, it didn't want it to be against Tyche or Eutychia. "I see Hera!" Persephone gave a happy little tug on his arm. 

Hades led her through crowd, past the hallway filled with silk aerialists, and down into the open air courtyard that overlooked the garden. It was serving as the main bar and food area. The usual dining room during parties had been converted to slot machines and the main cash out cage. 

Hera was pressed against Zeus' side, giggling up at him as she toyed with his golden bowtie. "I thought Eros said black and white." Persephone grumbled, and Hades knew she was irked that Zeus had tossed her friend's rules out the window to substitute gold with his white tux. Hera, at least, had opted for a black cocktail dress that hugged her petite torso and thicker hips and thighs in a way that he knew Zeus was definitely going to be playing doting husband all night to get access to.

It was backless, though her upswept hair showed a lace choker collar. When Hera turned, he saw that the lace may have left her sleeveless, but that lace covered all of her cleavage up to the choker. Her petite feet were encased in tall, simple black heels that strapped around her ankles and had what looked like butterfly cut outs for the back. Hera's style was always chic seduction. "Bunny!" He grinned as she pulled away from Zeus to embrace Persephone. "You look breathtaking as always."

"Hades." He accepted her hug and cheek kiss, as Zeus finally realized they'd appeared and waved away the cocktail waitress who had taken Hera's distraction to slip him a folded napkin. "Save your charm for your Queen." Hades plucked the napkin from Zeus' hand, as Hera pulled away. "You both look wonderful. That dress-" 

"Is something _else_." The glare Zeus was giving him morphed into a teasing grin to Persephone. "Hera had a little number like that. I can't recall what happened to it." The way the golden Queen batted at him and turned bronze in the cheek said enough. "Right.... I ripped it in half the night Hebe was conceived." 

"That's lovely." Persephone snorted as she plucked two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter. "Where's Eros?" 

"He and that nymph of his should be here soon." Zeus shrugged. "Oh, Bunny, our song!" Persephone barely got back as Zeus half carried Hera away from them down to the open, marble chess board in their garden that was currently doubling as the dance floor. 

"Here, hide this in your clutch until we can trash it." She looked up as Hades passed her a napkin with a number on it. "Idiot cocktail waitress passed it to Zeus with Hera right there! I snagged it, that's why he dragged her off." Persephone quickly stuffed the napkin into her wrist clutch and took a sip of her drink. There couldn't be any drama before the reveal. Everything had to be perfect. 

"So, I'm starving." She really was. Interviewing PAs had cut her lunch short, and then she'd spent most of the afternoon in the second park. "Come on." 

"You grab us some better drinks and a table, love, I'll make your plate." Persephone accepted Hades' soft kiss before parting ways. She swallowed more of her champagne and set the nearly empty glass on an empty table that gave an unobstructed view of the hedge maze and numerous fountains. Then, she headed to the bar. 

_I'm starting to think someone took it, but how? My rings were only off that night, and we were home._ She knew Hades wouldn't be angry, but she still didn't want to look careless. _Gods I hope one of the babies didn't swallow it! The shades should be checking every-_ "sorry!" Persephone exclaimed as her collision with someone's back made her stumble in her heels. Automatically, a familiar cologne washed over her, even as the voice snapped. 

"Watch where you're going nymph-" She looked up, finding herself at the bar, even as Apollo turned, showing where his clear drink had splashed on his tuxedo shirt. Persephone had to remember how to work her lungs while finding her balance. "My apologies, _Your Majesty_." Her face was too hot, and the urge to lash out in fury warred with the terror demanding she run. "I didn't intend to _stand_ where you'd be walking." The venom in his voice was unmistakable and it jerked Persephone to herself.

"Yeah, well-" Persephone barely got the words out, bringing herself to full height, before Apollo spun back around and practically sprinted away. She shook herself, turning to the bartended. "I'll have King Hades' usual and a Blushing Lady." She pulled the napkin from her clutch, shredding it, and scrunching the pieces together. "And, can you trash this for me too, please." 

"Of course, your Majesty." The pretty maenad behind the bar huffed. Persephone realized belatedly that it was one who had fought with Apollo at the trial. 

"Hold any body fluids or poison." She added, watching intently to make sure only the ingredients Hebe had taught her for the drinks were added. The maenad didn't say anything, only making the drinks exactly to proportion and sliding them to Persephone. "Here." She slapped two drachma to the bar and stalked away. "I can't let this upset me. Today is about Eros and Psyche." She shoved her irritation down, making her way back to the chosen table. She'd barely stood there a second when strong hands gripped her waist from behind and warm lips pressed affectionately into her cheek over her shoulder.

Persephone nearly spun around to attack the person, when a calming wave of ocean spray, sunkissed sand, and that unnameable musky spice reached her nose. "I see what my Queen meant. You do look like-." She laughed, looking back to cover Poseidon's face with her hand, muffling whatever his remaining words were. 

"Poseidon! Amphitrite!" She hugged them in turn, stepping back to admire the audacity of the seafoam green Queen's dress. It was sleeveless, with a choker collar like her own and Hera's, with almost completely see through black lace coming down over her chest to make a keyhole cut out between her breasts and leaving her shoulders bare. The intricate beading matched her natural swirled birthmarks, creating a sparkling, black cover for the peak and sides of her breasts. 

They came down her abdomen, allowing her skin to show through, only to thicken up again over her intimate areas. Then thinned out again to flaunt her luscious thighs. The skirt ended well above her knee, letting her lovely legs swirly down to the black high heels which were a teasing balance of Persephone's seductive shoes and Hera's chic pumps. 

They were solid black peep toes, with two braided straps that fastened under a bow with a flower charm and dangle. Then, a dusting of rhinestones was just above the base of the heel. Her cute, black pedicure twinkled out. Finally, her own black circlet diadem was nestled on her hair, which was loosely piled curls held in place by diamond pins. 

"Amphitrite, you look enchanting as always!" Persephone rescued their plates from her husband so he could hug the Ocean's Queen. "I'm surprised you didn't try to put my wife in this dress. I still am not sure whether I should fall to my knees and thank you, or ban you from taking Persephone shopping again!" Trite laughed, slapping his arm with an eye roll before the brothers slapped backs. "Sweetness, you've got a little." She blinked as he plucked a flower from her hair. "Hemlock." Swiftly, he dropped it to the table and crushed it under a napkin. 

"I, um... ran into Apollo." 

"Ahhhh so that's why his shirt was soaked." Poseidon gave her a conspiratorial smile. "Want me to make a fountain expl-"

"No! I want Eros' night to be perfect." She rubbed Poseidon's arm, before gesturing to the seats. "Joining us? Zeus and Hera are dancing." 

"Duh, but first, food!" Poseidon was gone in a flash, as Amphitrite waved over a waitress. 

"How're the kids? Persephone and I were thinking it's beyond past time they meet her." She shifted anxiously, trying to spot Eros and Psyche, but they weren't in yet. Zeus was going to be tanked if they didn't hurry, and by the way Hades was downing his drink, so was he.

Thankfully, her anxiety was appeased as she took her first bite of her hummus and pita because Eros came strutting into the courtyard. She waved him over, shooting up to hug Him and accept his friendly peck of a kiss on her lips. "Where's my girl?" She smiled.

"Ma's finishing her hair in the bathroom. Agape shorted out her curling iron, and mine is way too small." He pressed something into her hand, and Persephone almost sighed in relief. "Not yours... its... well. I'm afraid I'll lose it, and the box was too-"

"Gimme! Gimme!" Hades watched as Persephone tried to conceal a diamond band in her dress. "Box too." He smirked as Eros produced a black, velvet, traditional lift to open box from his tux. "I'll hold it. You just give me the signal." He concealed the ringbox in his right inner pocket, since another, smaller box had been occupying his left one for a few days. He kept missing opportunities to use it, and while he had planned to tonight, it seemed that another proposal was much more important. 

"Good for you, Cherub Cheeks." He snorted when Amphitrite gave Eros' butt a playful slap. Hades hadn't realized that they'd ever been close, but judging by the smirk coming from the green regents and the pink god, there must have been something in the last two hundred years. "That assistant of Aphrodite's is a total babe! We didn't think you'd ever get over that mortal-"

"There she is!" Persephone's happy shout made him look, and Hades felt his own jaw nearly hit the table at the same time Poseidon reappeared and almost missed the table with Amphitrite's plate. 

"Who's the mortal..." Poseidon breathed, and Hades watched as Amphitrite turned and stared. Her lips twisted up in that way she got when she saw a new playmate. 

"That's Aphrodite's assistant." He informed them, knowing full well he was smirking. "Without her nymph disguise, she's known as Psyche." He stood, making sure she was aware his visual appraisal was to make sure she was fit to impress Zeus. The answer was, 'absolutely'. 

The olive skinned woman was an absolute vision, the total opposite of many of the goddesses and nymphs on the room. Her dress was long and virginal white, in comparison to the short and black. It clung to her torso, coming down in neat folds to brush the floor, with a slit over her left leg that reached her hip. The entire left side of her dress was gold chiffon, dusted with crystals, that went up to her left breast. There, it created a single sleeve that covered her left shoulder and arm in more gold and crystals. 

Her exposed leg, revealed a gold heel, with crystals across the entire shoe and larger ones on the straps. Her gold and white painted toes peaked out, as she shook back her long, expertly done, walnut colored curls. "King Hades, always a pleasure." He interrupted her curtsy to bow at the waste and kiss her knuckles. 

"Please, have my seat-" He offered, but Eros waved him off. "We need to do this now-"

"Wait. She's Psyche?"

"Queen Amphitrite, my sweet girl. My, aren't you an absolute dream-"

"Dad went to go get Zeus. Okay, so, Uncle H, you're-"

"First line of defense."

"I'm emergency transport!" Chimed in Persephone, making Hades sigh. He hadn't expected it to be kicking off this early, but there would be no hiding Psyche now. People were already whispering. 

"Well, where is he?" Hades stepped forward, breathing a sigh of relief as Poseidon instantly took the opposite side of the couple. Zeus' voice had announced his arrival, with Aphrodite and Ares in front and behind him and Hera. Those purple eyes narrowed in on the beauty in white before him, clinging to Eros' arm. "You brought a mortal to my mansion?! You brought a mortal to my city?!" Thunder clapped as lightning filled the sky.

"Now now, Big Thunder." Hera's voice was a tone he hadn't heard in years, soft, sultry, innocent, and tempting. It was barely audible, even as she pressed herself to her husbands body and stroked his cheek. "This is Eros. He's your-"

"You knew?!" Hades felt hid stomach drop as Zeus pushed Hera out to arms length and sneered. "Why am I not fucking surprised!?!" Another clap of thunder shoot the mansion, and Hades prepared to summon his bident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Persephone's Dress](https://shoppershook.com/product/women-glitter-choker-sleeveless-cut-out-bodycon-dress-sexy-black-club-party-dress-evening-shining-mini-dresses/)   
>  [Persephone's Shoes](https://www.fsjshoes.com/women-s-leila-black-crystal-heels-ankle-strap-heels-stiletto-heel-pumps.html?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=b6d6ed4e5b1659e9c9d67c8dd8f7bef01eb060b7-1585353088-0-AUuykw4eJq5s9sqOE0H6kO4lTyJ27-INhKfkhd0dMoTROrMcverLFViqYDXF9dksSVLbFHjJ6cuY8gAx_48WirzeXmpPxMpArihgAXsKXeW2lZCu3vxYcpbidGRBs7_qzATckPnnia9eSEzwGCl8cwWi7dkMOn6z2YN-wG8qgqeLO0ZATDR0njjvfhqa7muom4Ejixl5eFk6T_27m1KBgkW_0S0GtzTxZy9pgLqVuqI9R_qZYQZmhCMFGlIj4Vus7ZoINzDWJ0-KtoulcHyoq-DgDBY3_HcnKAhYHJ-13MnbbsCE6I679H9zNSP1jKPkPf0Zy8lZ3zG5wJjoZS9iZblRpMyjz3sipYyyTHyb2z0MGunjagm0y3Pi47srf8VAIw/)   
>  [Hera's Dress](https://cargo-shorts.com/why-do-you-need-black-cocktail-dress//)   
>  [Hera's Shoes](https://www.veaul.com/chic-beautiful-black-evening-party-womens-sandals-2020-butterfly-ankle-strap-11-cm-stiletto-heels-pointed-toe-high-heels.html/)   
>  [Amphitrite's Dress](https://www.izidress.com/product/womens-sexy-see-through-sheer-floral-black-dresses-mock-neck-backless-cocktail-mini-dress-outfits-girls//)   
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	53. Chapter 53

"Oh for the love of Gaia, calm down!" Hades' heart flickered in fear, as his own Queen tucked Psyche behind her back and faced Zeus' fury. _Does she want a civil war?!_ "Haven't you already punished Eros and his family enough over Psyche?" He remembered with a phantom throb the bruised eye, as Persephone's own eyes flashed. "Your grandson planned an entire party full of things _you_ love, so that he could introduce his soulmate to you for approval."

"Who do you think you are-"

"I'm your fucking sister-in-law! It's time someone told you to cool your temper!" Hades stepped forward as Persephone went nose to chest with Zeus, vines whipping as his hair sparkled. "You break rules all the time! All the time, but the minute someone else does, that isn't your favorite, you turn into a hard ass!" Zeus' hand raised, crackling with lightning, but before Hades could blink, Persephone was pressing her palm flat on the purple king's groin. "Strike me, and I swear on all of Olympus I will turn your dick into a jasmine bush." 

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me." 

Zeus' eyes flashed as a thunder clap echoed, and Hades reached slowly for his wife. Zeus shot him a look, and he stopped. Hades and Poseidon had often chastised him in private, but Hades couldn't ever remember a time Hera or Amphitrite or any goddess had publicly stood up to the high king. A quick glance showed him the gods and goddesses had blocked the confronting from the demi-gods and other attendees. This was almost as private as a pantheon assembly. "She's already been here, living in disguise, because she can't ever go home. Eros loves her. She could be the one to give you great grandchildren."

"Brother..." Hades swallowed hard, afraid that Zeus' silence would erupt into Chaos. Then, the thunder died and the spark of ozone dissipated. "Kore..." he took her elbow, pulling her. Persephone stepped back but still blocked Psyche from Zeus' path. 

"Are you vouching for her then, oh _Dread Queen_?" Hades shouted at the same time Eros did, but it was obvious that they were ignored. He grabbed for Persephone again, but she was stepping out of reach again. 

"I do. She's helped me many times, even before I was queen. Psyche is good and pure and has no ulterior motive than eternity with her love." Hades pulled her to him as Zeus brushed the tiny queen aside and approached Psyche with a critical eye. 

"Are you insane." Hades hissed in his wife's ear. "You and your obsessive need to do shit that is bad for you. Eros is supposed to vouch for her! What are you doing?!"

"So you're Psyche." Persephone struggled in his arms, but Hades wasn't letting her go. He loved how fierce and protective she was, bur couldn't she just cool her jets for five minutes. "I'll admit, I see why my grandson is so enamored with you. You're stunning." For once, Hera didn't make a sound. 

"Yes, My King. Thank you." Psyche's demeanor was the epitome of humble, respectful, and confident as she executed a prim curtsy before holding her chin out confidently. 

"Father-" Zeus held up a finger to silence Ares. 

"Now, taking a wild guess here, but you want immortality." Hades finally loosened his grip on Persephone when Eros wrapped an arm around Psyche and met his grandfather's eyes without flinching. "It's what all mortals who love gods want. Why should I give it to you?"

"Because, King Zeus, I'm not asking for it for myself." This was it, and as the silent crowd look on, everyone knew it. Hades stood ready to act, should Zeus deny her answer. There was the chance, given his reaction to her presence despite the crowd. "I could die tomorrow, and be content with myself knowing I found the love of my life. What I couldn't be content with is knowing he lives on without me, that he must watch me whither and decay and pass on." _Eloquently done!_ Hades cheered in his mind. "Do not grant me immortality for me, do it so Eros will never hurt the way I hurt him before."

Silence filled the courtyard, and Persephone tensed in Hades arms. Everyone knew better than to speak, as Zeus' emotionless face stared through Psyche. "Again, I ask, Persephone, will you vouch for her?"

"Granda-"

"Persephone!" Thunder flashed, and Persephone stepped forward. Her heart was pounding, face tingling from static discharge on Zeus' clothes. _Gods I hope Eros isn't mad at me. I didn't mean to take his place._

"I will." She held Zeus' violet gaze, not flinching when he grabbed her wrist. She didn't know what would come, but she wasn't backing out now. Hades was staring at her with an odd expression. 

"Psyche, face Persephone." No sooner than Persephone was staring into her eyes than Zeus had seized her wrist too. There was a crack of thunder again, and a bolt of lightning was winding around their arms, zapping, stinging, making both women wince. "Hera, knife. I know it's in your... thank you." Persephone hissed as Zeus cut a line from her forearm to her palm, making ichor pulse out like molten gold. Then scarlet mortal blood joined hers.

"Exchange the blood!" Persephone grabbed Psyche's arm in a warrior's shake, pressing the bleeding lines together. The bolt of lightning formed a cuff, sizzling their skin, but she refused to cry out. Psyche was holding it in as well, though she knew the woman must be burning with ichor entering her veins. She could see the agony on her face, feel it in the way her nails dug into Persephone's arm. 

Then, Zeus began to chant. Persephone vaguely registered the language of the Titans, but her mind was too focused on ignoring the throbbing burn to translate it. Psyche was panting now, barely upright, so Persephone pulled her close, supporting her weight. She took hazy care to avoid staining the white dress, even when she pressed their foreheads together. Then, Psyche began to glow. 

The light suffused the woman's skin, eyes, and hair, radiating out, dimming the party lights in its brilliance. Persephone nearly cried out as there was a terrible pulling sensation in her arm, but it was gone. The light blinked out without warning, and Zeus was ripping their arms apart. "This gift I seal with my oath." He huffed, and Persephone made a face when he kissed her briefly before doing the same to Psyche. "Welcome to immortality, Psyche. Dishonor or misuse this gift, and Persephone will be punished right along side you." He spun on his heel, quite literally storming away. Hera was following. 

"Let me heal you." Persephone took Psyche's arm in her palms, while their loves grabbed them respectively. She leaned into Hades, letting him keep her upright despite the world spinning, and channeled her powers. Her friends' arm glowed a bluish white, before her skin was again flawless. 

"Thank you," Eros was nearly in tears as he wiped Psyche's arm clean. Persephone felt the room swirl, as hands began cleaning her off as well. To her surprise, it was Aphrodite. The love goddess didn't say anything, but Persephone knew what the gesture was implying. Then, the world when hazy for a bit. She vaguely registered herself and Psyche being lowered into chairs, as Hades spoon fed her ambrosia. Eros was also feeding Psyche, but not the food of the gods. When the world was clear again, the party had restarted. 

Hades and Eros were whispering, and Psyche looked back to normal as she sipped on some water. Persephone smiled at her. "I'm not worried. I know you're never going to dishonor us." 

"Psyche-" Eros' voice was loud, almost musical, and the strength of his power radiated out. It brought everyone in the vicinity to a stand still. "I wanted to ask you this a million times, but I didn't want you to say no out of fear of me losing you." Persephone pushed her chair back, hurrying to Hades side so as not to be in the pictures of the camera that Aphrodite had just produced from seemingly nowhere. Eros was dropping to his knee, and Psyche was beginning to finally tear up. "I may be a god of love, but I never, truly, understood what love meant _for_ me until I met you. When I see your smile or feel your touch, I can't imagine my eternity without it. Since you chose to bind yourself to eternity for me, will you let me bind myself to you for eternity?" 

"Yes! Yes!" The crowd that had gathered cheered, and Persephone looked up at her husband when Eros and Psyche kissed passionately. 

"Are you mad at me?" She murmured, as Hades cupped her cheek with one hand and pulled her flush against him by her waist with the other. 

"No, but there were quite a few swears in that little tirade." Persephone's retort was silenced as Hades kissed her, his lips fiery, passionate, and commanding. She met him with equal fervor, feeling her desire begin to kindle low in her belly. "We can go take account of those now." His growl made her heart do a double summersault. 

"Let's." She pulled away, doing her best to not look like she and her husband were sneaking away for alone time. His hand landed on her rear, squeezing it firmly, just as silver hands grabbed her arms and pulled her into a hug. 

"Persephone! That was so brave! I've never even squared off with dad in public." Persephone meeped when Athena pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her cheek. "Wow... mmm I never realized how good you smell." The silver goddess smoothed her white bowtie against her black tuxedo shirt. "Like really good." She realized belatedly that she'd forgotten to rein in her fertility powers. "Almost like... warm apple pie fresh from the oven with clean laundry folded on the table...near...by." 

"Athena, you need to eat some garl-" Hades made to grab for his niece, who looked like someone had just solved the answer to every problem in the world. "Tuto!" Athena turned and began shoving through the crowd

"Grab her!" Persephone shouted, as she and Hades gave chase. Athena was on a mission, and nobody was standing in her way. "Wait Athena! I accidentally-" Persephone almost tripped as she and Hades came to an abrupt halt. She'd stopped in front of Hestia and Euphrosyne, who had been speaking animatedly about something.

"I can't keep doing this, Hestia. I can't keep pretending that you are the only thing in my life that makes sense but also makes everything feel completely illogical. I'm the bravest of all the goddesses, but the thought of being rejected by you makes me terrified." Hestia looked properly stunned, but she wasn't interrupting. If anything, her cheeks flushed a deeper gold. "I have been in love with you for over a century, and I can't pretend anymore. If you don't want this, stop me."

"Oh... shit-" Hades whispered, and the entire crowd gasped as the Silver Goddess took Hestia's cheek and waist in her hands and bent down kissed her softly. Hestia didn't move, and Persephone felt her heart flinch in worry. Then, the Goddess of the Hearth wrapped her arms around her neck and returned the kiss with enthusiasm. 

"Well then..." Persephone wondered how she'd missed it for so long, but it was obviously that they were where they were supposed to be. "About those swear words." She laughed as Hades spun her past a row of slot machines and into a side hallway. Suddenly, she was over his shoulder, and he was rushing down a flight of stairs. "Aidoneus where-"

His palm collided with her rear, making her panties drench in desire. "One!" She crooned, fisting his jacket, as another landed. "Two!" She mewled, and Hades growled hungrily. 

It was spank number eight when Hades eased her down between himself and a low, ivy covered wall deep in Hera's garden. "Nine! Ten!" She couldn't get herself up on the wall fast enough, when he began undoing his belt. "What if-"

"This section of the garden is for family only." He growled, and Persephone spread her legs to let him slide her drenched lace to the side. "Trust me, Little Goddess!" He slid into her with a cry. Her slicked body already so ready for him was rocked with pleasure. 

"Oh... don't... don't stop!" Hades had no intention too. He wasn't surprised, as he lost himself in a merciless rhythm that Persephone was already so close. She'd been on the edge at any touch all day, and the emotions she'd just put herself through had to be running stronger than his. She was fluttering, clenching, and trembling around him, making pleading sounds as her fingers clenched his sleeves. 

He was almost there too, and when his queen exploded in a whirlwind of petals and his name, the garden around them burst to life. He couldn't contain himself. "Knees! Knees!" He grunted, pulling back, and Persephone dropped to the grass to open her mouth. He cried out, taking care not to meet her hair up, as he emptied himself onto her waiting tongue. 

The sound of giggling made him freeze, as Persephone nearly choked on his release. He looked back, just as Ares stumbled into the small grove, with Aphrodite pawing at his suit. "Well that explains the flowers!" The war god laughed. "I'm assuming you two aren't open for company?" 

"Go away!" Hades and Persephone shouted, and the other couple backed away. He looked down, needing to make sure his Queen wasn't mortified at being caught in act. He was relieved to find her smirking. 

"Think Hera's garden can use more flowers before we go back to the party?" She purred, and Hades was not about to say no to that gleam in her eyes. 

"Definitely could." He shed his coat, smoothing it to the grass, before easing his wife down onto it in order to try to sate her unending hunger for his skin.


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter sucks! I've been super busy with work and child and finishing a cosplay! Ugh! Okay, enjoy the driest chapter I've written

Persephone stared down at the resume before her, trying not to chew on her pen. She needed an assistant, but she had no idea what to look for. She'd contemplated trying to poach Psyche from Aphrodite, but hadn't done it. Psyche wouldn't want to offend her soon to be mother in law, and Persephone did not want to have any more of Aphrodite's spite aimed at her. 

Still, the Lampad across from her, Melika, who's skin was the color of frost coated lilacs, met all of the qualifications. Not only was she experienced in working for Underworld Corps as an assistant to the public relations executive, but she was also another of Hecate's coven. Persephone had never really understood the size of the Witch Goddess' congregation until she'd truly began paying attention to the workings of the Underworld. 

While the Lampads did not come close to matching the number of flower and water nymphs or naiads and dryads, they were a tight knit community. The majority of the ethereal and haunting women were romantically involved with each other, and if they didn't work for the Kingdom in some capacity, they traveled among the mortal devotees of Hecate teaching magicks and rites. They were all exceedingly beautiful, and sometimes Persephone couldn't help but stare when a group of them would be walking through the mall or striding through Tower One. 

"So, Melika. Your qualifications are outstanding. You've been with Underworld Corps for twenty three years, and you have letters of recommendation from His Majesty, Hecate, and the Furies. Thats... well... that's impressive." Persephone was pleased Hades had had the foresight to add a platform for her feet on her chair. It allowed her to cross her knees and lean back and observe the woman. "I have to ask some personal questions. I'm not looking for a 'yes woman'. I can get plenty of that by taking a walk through the break room." 

"Ask away, Your Majesty." Melika brushed her mauve hair from her face, making her rose gold eyes brighten to almost transparency. "I'm an open book, when it comes to myself that is." 

"You didn't list a spouse, are you currently single, dating, or socially active?" Persephone had observed that Hades was quite cognizant about Galina and Calla's personal lives, and she wanted to immolate that herself. "It won't impact whether or not I hire you. I just like to be aware of when you may need time off or when not to call on your off days."

"I am single, but I do date. I know how to work it into my work schedule." Melika flashed a wide smile and shook her waist length hair back. "I'm also on the Underworld Corps. track and field team. It's not on the resume, but it's on the internal board." 

"That's great! Now, annotated days aside, there may be times when I have to call you at insane hours. Is this going to be an issue." 

"No, Ma'am. I have no issues with that." Persephone analyzed her posture, taking in the way she held her demeanor, didn't seem anxious or nervous under the stare of a queen. 

"Will my office decor bother you? I know some Lampads have sensitivity to-"

"My father was a satyr. I'm as comfortable in the summer sun as I am to living down here for months."

"Lastly, would you have any issues telling other gods to take a hike if they show up unannounced?" 

"I can't stand most Olympians to begin with, so no, Ma'am, that would not be an issue." Persephone finally felt herself grin, confident she was making the right choice. 

"You're hired." She stood up, extending her hand over the desk. Melika shook it, looking pleased. "Be here at eight. Galina will be ready to show you the ropes, and by then I'll have your transfer paperwork complete."

"I look forward to working with you, Your Maj-"

"Persephone is fine, outside of formal events of if you have to interrupt a meeting." She pulled her hand back to come around the desk. Melika was nearly as tall as Galina and Calla, so Persephone had to look up as she escorted her to the door. "Take today to move your stuff up, if you want." 

"I'll do that. I look forward to working with you." Persephone opened the door for the woman, blinking in shock to see a huge arrangement of flowers being dropped off on Galina's desk. She parted ways with her new PA at the elevator, heading over to her husband's PA instead. 

"Someone's wife is feeling flirtatious." She giggled, breathing in the fresh aroma. Calla was not at her desk, but Hecate's office was open a crack. Galina shook her head. "What? You don-"

"These are for you, Persephone." Galina pointed at the card nestled between a rose and a camellia.

_To: Persephone, Goddess of Spring, Queen of the Underworld_

"F-f-for me?" Persephone toyed with the soft black ribbon. "Nobody's ever given me flowers before." She lifted the vase down into her arms, inhaling the fragrant blossoms. They had come from a florist on Olympus, one Hera often used for her party decorations. There was no mistaking the flower nymph's magic lingering in the petal. "Can you open Hades' door for me, so I can thank-"

"He's actually off site for lunch at a meeting with Zeus and Poseidon, remember?" 

"I must've forgot." Persephone turned back around, heading to her office. Hades hadn't told her about a meeting with them, and she knew it hadn't been on his calendar. She'd checked the calendar just yesterday to see when he was going to be free to meet Athena about picking the university's deans. Also, they always had lunch together, so if he was going to be away, she'd have been told. _Right?_

Shutting the door behind her, she set the flowers on her desk. She noticed the card was actually an envelope, and she plucked it from the petals again. Inside was a small card the same color as his scars, and Persephone found herself smiling at it. 

_Beautiful Blossom,  
From flowers you came and with flowers you start.   
The next gift is found amid the flowers that fertilized your heart.  
Signed,  
A not so secret admirer._

"Aidoneus, a scavenger hunt?" Persephone bit her lip as she contemplated the card. She inhaled the flowers again, trying to make sense of the words. _Riddles, hmmm very Unseen One._ "Flowers that fertilized my heart? Well, flowers don't fertilize unless they're dead, but... fertilize also means to nourish or... or... impregnate! That's right! Rhea used pollen from asphodels to fertilize Mama's egg!" 

Grabbing her coat, she focused hard on the fields of Asphodel. Transferring was still something she was working hard on mastering. She could go just about anywhere she had been before, but it took focus. Unless she was upset or elated or extremely aroused, when the ether would bend to her will with no resistance. Stepping through the ether, she found herself on the border between the sprawling, empty fields of asphodel and Elysium's alluring whisper. 

"Where would he hide.... oh!" Persephone blinked in surprise as she saw Cerberus napping a little ways off, with Pomelia's warm fur obviously visible on his middle head. 

"Babies! Where's Mama's babies?!" She called, making her way through the flowers. Pomelia woke first, almost rolling over herself to run down Cerberus' neck, slide down his side, and yap excitedly as she plunged into the meadow. Cerberus was hot on her trail. 

"My babies, my babies! Yes, so good." She scooped Lia into her arm and gave here best boy a loving scratch under his jaw. "Do you have a gift for me? Huh? Is that why Baba left you out here?" The tiny fluff ball in her arm wriggled as Cerberus gave a booming bark. 

A scroll dangled from his collar, and Persephone set Pomelia down to unroll it. Hades' elegant script filled the parchment, along with sweet doodles of the entire pack. She found her heart glowing as she read the words. 

_Little Goddess,  
Cerberus was my first, and Pomelia is yours.  
On her collar is the key to open the door.   
Where we first kissed, another clue shall you find.  
Then seek out the one that is keenest of mind. _

"Come here, Princess." Persephone tucked the scroll into her coat pocket, scooping up Pomelia, she found a small, black key with a design like a cypress tree on it. Persephone quickly unhooked it from her vaccine tag and kissed her soft fur. "Our first kiss was in his office. That one isn't hard." She looked up at Cerberus, who was still in his work form.

"Think you can give me a lift home, huh Mama's boy?" She grinned as Cerberus dropped to his belly again, allowing her to climb on his massive back. Holding tightly to Pomelia with one hand, she looped her fingers under his collar. "Home!" 

With an exuberant howl, Cerberus lunged forward and Persephone felt the unmistakeable sensation of his transfer shift around her. Pomelia whined against her neck, but Persephone held her tightly. She grinned when she found herself in the living room. "Okay, babies! Go play!" Judging by the silence and lack of leashes, the walker had the pack out for their midday walk. 

She knew her way to their, now, joint study. Although, Persephone did most of her 'home' work from the room behind the pool that backed into the main garden. She'd come home from Queens Brunch to find Hades had knocked down the entire exterior wall and contractors building it out so that half of it looked like a study but the rest was a towering green house. They were still waiting on the glass to be delivered. 

"Now... what does he keep locked?" Persephone tapped her key to her lip, trying to think of everything in the room. Once upon a time, he had locked everything, but Hades had showed her where every key went and what combinations opened what. "Where are you?"

Persephone paused as her mind told her something was out of place. She tried to figure it out. "Desk, desk, chairs, sofa, cigar box, book shelves, tapestry of Cerberus..."she paused mid point and whipped her head back. The tapestry of Cerberus had been replaced by the cypress tapestry from the bedroom. "Aha!" 

Laughing at her own blindspot, she pushed it out of the way and revealed the safe. There wasn't much in there except their marriage certificate, the ownership papers for Underworld Corps, and other such boring things. She keyed in the access code, and when the door opened, she gasped at the stunning box situated on the top shelf. "Oh, you're new." She sighed, pulling it down and carrying it to his desk. 

The box was designed to look like a cypress grove at midnight, obviously Hephaestus' intricate craftsmanship. On the front of the box, a door had been painted onto the trunk of a tree, with a keyhole made of the same black  
Metal. Persephone slid the key into the door and turned.

The sound of gears turning made her jump, but the lid slid back and the sides eased down like a book to reveal an owl feather tied to a thick parchment envelope. Persephone tucked the feather behind her ear and slowly untied the silver twine that had held it in place. The envelope opened easily, revealing a pressed flower above another riddle. 

_Sweet Queen of my Heart,  
A statement made before, is a questioned posed now.  
Though the answer is obvious, I did make a vow.  
Your treasure is not lost. It was taken for this quest.   
Both it and the answer are where the parliament rests. _

"Parliament... parliament?" Persephone tucked the flower and key into her pocket. "The last clue said the keenest of minds... but that would be Athena. What does a parliament have to do with..." understanding jolted her mind as she yanked the feather out to stare at it. "Owls! A flock of owls is called a Parliament! I need to go to Athena's house!" 

Shedding her coat, Persephone smoothed her black dress, making sure the pink belt was nice and that her hair was fixed. She didn't know what treasure or question was waiting for her, but she was willing to play the game. "Any clue Athena will have is going to be tricky. No doubt it's the last one." 

Stepping into the ether, Persephone transferred to the outside of Athena's manor. She had always marveled at how the goddess had maintained the most stunning combination of masonry and carpentry, so  
That the sprawling, elegant home looked like the most perfect blend of her Parthenon and a forest lodge. She knocked on the door, jumping as it opened almost immediately.

"Kore... I mean, Persephone." Hestia was standing in the main foyer, wearing a very flattering pale green wrap dress with adorable owls perched on rose stems. "Come in! Athena said you'd be by." 

"Um, I don't-" Persephone felt a flicker of hesitation. Hestia hadn't apologized to them or said anything about her accusations or behaviors since the trial. 

"Aunt Sephie!" Hebe came barreling out of a side room into hall, with a trio of newly fledge owls following her. "Come on!" Her tiny white heels clacked on the marble floors as she disappeared. Hera never let Hebe go anywhere without an immediate family member, one of her uncles, or one of her aunts, Apollo and Artemis excluded. 

"Athena's in the main parlor." Drawing a breath, Persephone stepped inside. She knew the way, but she was hesitant about turning her back on her mama's oldest friend. "I'm... I'm sorry for my behavior. I'm sorry I accused Hades of... well... taking advantage of you and for taking your coat." 

"You're... why'd you change your mind?" 

"Hades is one of my oldest friends, and Athena, well, she is a hard woman to refute when she forces you to see the truth." Persephone felt her apprehensive worry begin to fade. "I know words aren't enough, but I'm hoping my actions can speak louder." She gestured down the hall, and the unmistakable aroma of one of her hearth fire baked cakes carried down the hall. "Would she or Hades let me be part of your adventure if I wasn't sorry?"

"We'll see." Persephone wanted to believe her, but the way Hestia had acted had been harsh, worse than Artemis, but not as badly as Demeter. So, she made her way down to the open room, taking care to be alert. Hands covered her eyes, and Persephone screamed, elbowing back with all her might.

"It's me! Calm down!" Athena laughed, obviously dodging the blows. "Do you want your cle?"

"Athena you-"

"Have you figured out what the missing treasure and question are?"

"N-n-n-no." Persephone reached up, attempting to cover her eyes. Athena was laughing, her wool vest soft against Persephone's shoulders. She went with her guidance, blindly realizing she was now about center in the room. The smell of many perfumes and colognes, food and drinks were thick in the air, disorienting Persephone brieflt. 

"Well, look down and see..." The fingers slipped away, and the room slowly slid into focus. Persephone automatically looked down, and what she saw made her heart nearly explode. 

Hades was arms length away on one knee. In his trembling fingers was her engagement ring. His scarlet eyes were shining with hope and promise and a flicker of fear. Her stunned mind crashed into itself as understanding brought her confusion to a halt. _He took it! He took the ring to propose!_

"Persephone, my Queen. I promised that I would propose on my terms, and I have decided that this is it. I have never been more in love in my life, and that love is solely for you." The hopeful smile on his lips drew tears to her eyes, and Persephone had to cover her mouth to keep from sobbing. "Will you do me the greatest honor of marrying me, again?" 

"Yes! Yes!" Persephone threw herself down into his arms, finding his lips with her own. She let her tears burst forth, barely keeping her hand still to let him slip the ring on. She sobbed out a giggle, holding his cheeks, savoring the warm velvet of his lips, when she realized there was clapping and cheering.

"Get yo man, babycakes!" Eros' voice came into focus, making Persephone look up to see the room was packed. The Zeus was holding Hera close, as Amphitrite and Poseidon blew bubbles from tiny bottles. Ares had his arm around Aphrodite, who was no doubt live streaming to Fatesbook, while the plethora of kids were escaping Eros' and Psyche's grasps to run for the food. Even Artemis was present, smiling, and clapping, with Hermes at her side. The red god was looking a little teary eyed himself.

"Oh, Aidoneus. I had no idea. I loved this! I loved every bit of it." She let him pull her to her feet, never letting his hand go. "I really, really loved the flowers." She had no time to explain he was the only one who'd ever given her any, before Zeus was calling for a toast. 

"I love you, Little Goddess. I don't want this feeling to ever end." Hades voice was thick with emotion, and Persephone took his tie in hand to pull him down to her lips again. "You said yes..."

"You asked."

"No making out in front of the children!" 

"Shut up Ares!" Something flew over her and Hades' head that looked suspiciously like an axe, as Athena shouted, buT Persephone paid no mind. All she could focus on was the way her husband's lips stole her heart all over again.


	55. Chapter 55

"Your headache is back?" Hades glanced over at Persephone, squinting as the sun reflected off of her hair. It was his first time seeing her in her mortal form, and thanks to the incessant pounding in his brain, he couldn't quite tell what color it was except that in the shade it looked like chestnuts dipped in bronze, but in the sun it was like strawberries mixed in gold. 

"Yeah... It's probably because I haven't been drinking like I used to." Hades reached out to brush a stray wisp of hair back behind her hair, taking care not to dislodge the diadem of flowers she'd bought from a peasant girl of about six just inside the gates of Thera. He knew that his decrease in alcohol consumption wasn't it, but he didn't know what it could be except stress. "I'm fine, honest." 

"Can I heal it?" Her burgundy peplos made skin glow, as she reached up to caress his cheek softly. Were she any other woman, he'd have called it sun kissed, but the expression seemed blasphemous in his mind. She wasn't quite as dark as some of the other goddess' mortal forms, but she wasn't anywhere near as fair as Athena or Hera either. "Aidoneus?" Her face was crinkled in worry, making the almost mask of freckles that crowned her cheeks and nose and framed her hazel eyes scrunch. "Do you want to go home. I don't have to go to this market."

"No, love. There's nothing to heal." He kissed her palm, before cupping it in his own hand. The golden flecks in the green irises glistened. "You came with me to check the volcano, so I can go with you to the market." Reaching down, he brushed her windswept hair from her shoulder so he could admire the random storm of freckles that was intense on her shoulders and chest, but lightened into random flecks along her arms. "You're so beautiful." He'd never really found mortal women as tempting as Zeus and Poseidon did, but Hades knew if he had seen this wild hair, golden skinned, freckled face, pouty lipped beauty tending a field or selling her flowers at market, he'd have been just as bewitched. 

"So are you." She pushed him out of the street, into the shade of a nearby tavern. Hades leaned down reflexively, when she curled her finger into his stone grey chiton. "Your hair is so long... I love it." Her lips were hot from the noon humidity, tasting of the almost overripe plum she'd purchased from a vendor. He cupped her waist, inhaling the intense fragrance of her barely controlled powers. "Mmm, feeling better?" She practically purred, pulling away. 

"A little." Hades took her arm, the migraine quelling any need to check his body. "I'll have a glass of nectar when I get home, okay?" Her worried expression morphed into a smile that made Helios look dim. "Now, come on, you wanted to mingle with the mortals." He kept his voice low for that, before guiding her through the city to the main market. 

Thera was one of the most prosperous cities on the island of Santorini, and the volcano in the nearby city of Akrotiri had been a bit restless. Persephone had found the inner workings of the volcano fascinating, claiming Demeter had never let her learn about them except to know that the soil around them was often rich and fertile. "Something's wrong." Persephone huffed, as she admired a necklace dangling from a hook at a jewler's stall. Hades cleared his throat, about to ask, when the merchant spoke. 

"I assure you, sweet maiden, nothing is wrong with my jewelry. It is hand crafted by myself and my sons." The man plucked the necklace, which was a chain formed to look like daisies. "See, no weak links, no flaws." 

"She wasn't insulting your work." Hades tried to pacify the affronted man. "Sweetness, it is a beautiful necklace. Would you like it?" He watched as she shook herself and looked back at the necklace. 

"Um, yes. I'd like the bracelet and earrings that match as well." Hades nodded to the man, digging out his coin purse from inside his garb. 

"The full set is three mine, Sir." His voice wasn't hesitant, exactly, but more skittish, as if he was afraid of offending him. Hades had never encountered such behavior in prosperous Thera before. 

"Of course, my good man. Here." He passed him four mine before tucking the bag away again. "Sweetness, are you okay?" Hades cringed at the way sun reflecting off the nearby fountain made his head throb. Persephone was staring at something across the street, but in the bustle, Hades couldn't make it out. He accepted the small pouch with the jewelry, tucking it beside his coins. 

"The air.... it's wrong. Something.... Aidoneus something's missing." Persephone drew a breath, and Hades hoped that the merchant hadn't overheard his name. The lack of shouting indicated he hadn't. "You don't smell it?" Hades inhaled deeply, finding only the usual smells: gold, silver, mortals, wine, food, offerings being burned to Hestia in a nearby house, wedding blessing oils being mixed at a nearby stall, the lingering aroma of Thanatos' cologne from a nearby building were a corpse was being dressed, and the sweat of the horses and livestock, "I don't know what, though." 

"Smells like a city to me, Little Goddess." He let her lead him through the market. Thankfully, the buildings grew ever taller, casting shadows that eased his sensitive eyes. "Is it bothering you?" There was no mistaking his wife was irked by her inability to figure out what was missing from the air. 

"No, it's just....you know that feeling when you're in a room and the air conditioner cuts off." Hades nodded, instantly regretting it when his head gave a throb so painful his stomach flipped. "Like that, but with smells. Maybe because you aren't a plant-" a nearby weaver looked over at them, and Hades snorted when Persephone caught herself. "Gardener, you can't tell, but something _is_ missing." 

"Should we be worried?-"

"No, no. It's just... it may be me. I've never been in a city so big. It could be that." Persephone leaned into Hades, not missing how his brows were practically knitted together. She wanted to go home, but she knew if they left, Hades would overly hard on himself. The missing scent was making her stomach clench in nausea. She couldn't place it though. She just needed to pick out an other item or two and Hades wouldn't take their leaving as a slight against him. "Maybe it's because I haven't been up sense the temple. I may be imagining. Why don't we get some food and wine? I love mort-market food." It had been almost a month since they'd delivered the baby, and peace was finally returning to their lives.

"Of course." Persephone couldn't shake the feeling, as they mingled with the crowd, that she was missing something. "Then perhaps we could see if the city had a garden. I bet that'll make us both feel wonderful." She smiled up at Hades, though the nagging sensation and low level nauseas didn't ease up. "I see smell food." She leaned into Hades, pulling her golden himation up from the crook of her elbows to cover her hair. She had begun to accrue looks from the older citizens, no doubt because she looked younger that Hades did and they assumed she was not his wife. 

"If I remember, there should be an area ahead with a few restaurants and a shaded place to enjoy watching artists and performers." Persephone rested her head against his bicep, trying to ignore the unease in her stomach. The smell of cookie meat reached her as they passed a spice merchant's stall, and she was nearly sick. "Kore... you're looking pale. Sit... sit."

"I'm fine." She sucked in a breath, refusing to let him push her down onto a bench outside a door. "The meat smell... what about you? You should be sitting!" Persephone was not about to let her minor discomfort be taken into account over the migraine he was fighting. "Why don't we just-"

"I promised you a day out. I'm fine. You know I've dealt with worse." She watched as he touched one of the scars crossing his bare arms. In his mortal form, they weren't as noticeable, barely there against his burnished complexion. Those caramel eyes were still scrunched, making the mortal appearance truly look like he was in his later thirties. "I'll be fine."

"Fine, lunch and entertainment, but then home." It had been a rare moment in her schedule, where she had been completely free during the allotted volcano inspection. Since the results for those could take an hour or ten, Galina had cleared his entire schedule. That had allowed them for a total day of relaxation in the mortal realm, if his migraine hadn't flared again. "For a nap."

"Mmm only if the nap involves you being my little spoon." The roguish smirk on his face made her cheeks warm. Persephone rolled her eyes as she tugged him back into the crowd. 

"Of course, mmm and skin on skin. You know naked cuddling and kissing releases hormones that help with anxiety and pain." She giggled as her husband gave her butt an inconspicuous squeeze. _If he is getting handsy, his migraine must be going away._ she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I did remember!" Hades looked pleased, as the crowd broke in front of them to reveal a circular space in the roads, where benches surrounded a stone stage and a huge fountain spewed water from a sculptor's interpretation of Poseidon and his trident to the sky. "See, we've got actors and weavers and painter and sculptors." She took in the crowd, finding various carts selling food and men and women demonstrating their mastery of their chosen profession. 

Hades swiftly found her a vendor selling wine, fru it, and cheese. Persephone took hers to a table near a man setting up to paint a vase, as Hades disappeared to acquire himself some meat. The painter was quite beautiful, with hair to color of raven wings and eyes so blue they were nearly transparent. His lips were full, sparkling in sultry temptation as a crowd of women and a man or two began to trickle over. 

He wore only a himation, revealing a muscular body accustomed to carrying heavy loads of clay and pottery, and his hands unfurled the cloth around his brushes with all the gentle confidence of a lover. The vase was already prepared, showing a meadow scene and a distant volcano. From Persephone's angle, she could see the tail end of a chariot. 

"Gather round, ladies and gents, and hear the terrible tale." Persephone sniffed as she subconsciously noticed the missing smell. Those blue eyes bore into hers as she sipped her wine, but flicked away when Hades reappeared. 

"The back end of that chariot looks sorta like-"

"Mine... weird." Hades shrugged. "He may have seen it on another-"

"What terrible tale?"  
"Yeah!"  
"It looks like a meadow scene." 

"I heard the story from a priestess of Demeter just last week." He turned the vase, and Persephone gasped at what she saw. It _was_ Hades' chariot, as evidence by him complete with his spiked crown and bident. "The terrible, terrible tale of how spring was stolen from us all. The tale is called 'The Taking of Persephone.'" Persephone almost choked on her wine, while Hades missed hid mouth and nearly stabbed himself with the lamb bone. The artist picked up a brush.

"But that's The Unseen-" 

"Just a two months ago, a terrible, terrible tragedy befell our world. It begins with King Hades, and his adventure to the mortal lands." Persephone watched in shock as the man began to paint the outline of a woman reclining in the flowers beside a river. "He was just going to check on a volcano, when he came across Persephone, virgin goddess of spring and daughter of Demeter. She was in the meadows with her nymphs."

"You have got to be kidding me." Persephone growled, her nausea growing. Hades was staring at the man with a look of absolute horror. 

"Persephone was young and innocent, all of nineteen years old, in training to join the sacred virgin goddesses. She was happy to work with her mother to keep the world fertile and fresh." The man was swift in his strokes, painting out a swift likeness of various nymphs frolicking in the high grass and flowers. "And when Hades gazed upon her, Eros pierced his cold heart with an arrow. Driving him mad with lust and obsession." 

The air around her grew chill, as the ground began to tremble. She grabbed Hades' hand, stilling it on the table where it had begun to grasp the wood. "Hades drove his stallions to her, pulling her into his chariot!" The brushed flicked and stroked, masterfully outlining the voluptuous body of her mortal form, no doubt given to him by her mother's priestesses. On the vase, her body was barely covered by the transparent robes she and her priestesses once wore. "The nymphs, they gave chase, trying to stop the Unseen One."

She wondered how long it would take the other crowd goers, or the artist himself, to realize he was painting the couple sitting in their midst. The ground shook again, and Persephone pushed her plate aside, trying to stand, to lead Hades away. _I can't believe Mama would spread such lies._ Hades was a statue, his furious gaze focused on the painting being elaborated on

"But what is a nymph to a god, especially one such as the Dark King. " the brush dragged over the meadow, blending blacks snd oranges into a fiery chasm. "The King Underground opened a chasm to his realm, driving his chariot into it, closing it behind him." With the main painting done, the artist began going in with his more detailed brushes, turning the stallions eyes crimson, adding nipples to Persephone's breast not squished into Hades' armor, showing his the hand not holding his bident and reins was pushing up her coverings. 

"Lies." Hades growled, and Persephone tried hard to pull him up. "Lies!"

"Demeter, upon hearing where her daughter was, went to Hades and begged she be returned. He refused, so she petitioned Zeus." 

"Lies!" 

"Zeus sided with his brother, as men are wont to do, stating 'She has eaten the seeds of pomegranate. Persephone belongs to Hades, and I will not command him to release her.'"

"Aidon-"

"These are lies!" Hades was on his feet, and Persephone could see he was on the edge of losing control. His caramel eyes were flashing scarlet and his neck was taking on hints of blue. "The Unseen One would never-"

"It is not! Let me finish-"

"Stop spreading lies before I-"

"Husband, stop!" Persephone was livid, but someone needed to remain calm. Hades was looking murderous, but so was the crowd. "Let him finish." 

"Kore! He's"

"Lady Demeter swore an oath against Zeus and Hades! If they would not return her daughter, then the world would weep as she is." The artist held his head up, setting his brush down and bending over to scoop up dirt. "She would turn the earth as barren as her heart. Nothing would grow or bloom or blossom, until her daughter was returned." Persephone felt her blood run cold as she breathed in the trickle of dust he let pour from his hand. "It had begun already. Crops are withering, flowers and fruit grow no more. Soon, our stores will be depleted and humanity will-"

"She wouldn't! These are lies!" Persephone didn't want to believe it, even as she drew in another breath and felt understanding settle in her mind. She clung to her husband's arm, her mind rebelling against what she was piecing together.

"I just realized. They look like"  
"The painting."  
"Has to be a coincidence." 

"Demeter wouldn't! She wouldn't! You're lying! Persephone wasn't kidnapped by Hades! She loves him!" Hades understood the migraines, as sway if the story grew over the crowd. It was taking all his control bot to rage through the city and stop the spread of such lies. Yet, the petals that were storming around forced him into check, as twigs and leaves sprouted from the table where Persephone's hands rested. "Kore, love, breathe. It's lies." 

"That's what's wrong, Hades! I can't smell pollen! Nothing is producing pollen!" Tears were cascading down her face, as she stumbled to him. Patches of pink flowers marked her path. The mortals were backing away, looking like they thought they were insane. "I need... i need..."

"Your greenhouse! I've got you." He scooped her into his arms, watching as the last vestige of her control snapped, revealing her pink skin and fuchsia waves. He shifted in response, kissing her softly. "Persephone... you need to calm down. I'll take you home."

"Its them"  
"Gods! They're gods."  
"He did take her!"

"Stop spreading lies!" He roared, before stepping through the ether and into her greenhouse behind the pool. "Better?" His migraine was fading, and Hades realized the mortals had been changing the story for weeks. The more the mortals changed their views on them, the harder it became to rebuke the energy of their prayers. 

Persephone had her face buried in a rose bush as soon as he set her down, her shoulders shaking. "How could she? Everyone will die... that's what made me feel sick! There was no pollen!" He took her hands, But as she saw, the truth was in her eyes. Demeter needed to be stopped.


	56. Chapter 56

_Metis was screaming, but Aidoneus didn't move. Everything was so numb, nothing existed except the pain. The narrow ledge of his dark, acidic, dank prison was heaving. He clung to it, barely registering Demeter's body crash into his as Father ran. He didn't cry out, even though his acid burned flesh ripped and tore._

_The movements slowed to a sudden halt, tossing them both away from the edge into the soaked, rippling stomach wall. A new scream filled the air, young, terrified, and above them came the light. Aidoneus was too stunned to move, as a whooshing sound joined the screaming, and a splash came up from below._

_"Grab my hand!" Demeter shouted, as a sputtering, panicked sob filled the living cage. Aidoneus wondered when her voice had changed. She didn't sound tiny and frail anymore. It had been a long time since he had had to pull her out of the acid, years maybe, but he wasn't sure._

_"Demeter? You're Demeter?" A new voice, obviously female, joined them on the ledge. She sounded young too._

_"Yes." She replied. "Is your Mama Metis-"_

_"Yes! Yes! You're my sister! I'm Hestia!" The girl had to be no older than six or seven, and her words reminded me of what he dreamed songbirds were like. "You're alive?! Is Aidoneus here? Is he alive too."_

_"Over there. Don't bother. He hasn't spoken since I got here." Demeter huffed, and Aidoneus felt little hands on his burning thighs. "It's so hard to measure time. With no lights. How old are you?" Aidoneus curled back into his corner to avoid being touched. His wounds were so much worse. As large as he was, it was so difficult for him to stay up and out of Demeter's way._

_When Father was particularly active, there was often only room for one of them to grab hold. Demeter was younger, so he often took the plunge. As a result his wounds no longer even scabbed, and agony had become a companion so intimate he couldn't even dream about the painless days. "I'm eight! Mama and Aunty Rhea said I made it the longest."_

_"How long has it been?" Aidoneus envied Demeter. She could talk, could work through her pain. It had been many many many sleeps since she'd spoken to him, and had resorted to speaking at the dark. Her name, her mama's name, her powers to make things grow, how much she missed fields and trees, and how the birds and sun were waiting. No, it wasn't words he'd envied. It was her hope._

_"Ouchies, my legs and feet hurt." Hestia must have been small, because Aidoneus couldn't feel her. "Sorry, um, Mama says you were born fourteen, um and Aidoneus was born thirteen before that." Aidoneus had an age, if he remembered his numbers. He was twenty-seven. That was nine thousand six hundred eighty one days. "I just hope Aunty Rhea can keep Poseidon hidden. He's so little and green. He walked yesterday for the first time, but, oh, he can swim. He's almost one!"_

_"So Aidoneus has a baby brother. I have a baby sister. Come here Hestia, just... don't touch my back." There was shuffling again._

I have a baby brother. His name is Poseidon. He is almost one. I'm twenty-seven, and my name is Aidoneus. I don't remember what green looks like. I think... I think trees are green. I just want to sleep.

 _Aidoneus let himself slump against the wall in the dark. A new sound filled their prison, like speaking, but softer, sweeter, and it reminded him of bedtime and Mama and Aunty Nyx blinking her eyes at him._ I think that's a lullaby. Demeter's voice... it's so pretty when she sings. I can almost remember flowers. I should tell...I should tell.... _Pain made the darkness inescapable_

"Aidoneus!" Poseidon's voice made Hades jump as his brother touched his shoulder. He shook his head, running his fingers through the grass. "That's not your flower patch! She's back at Hera'." 

"Perv." Hades pushed himself up from his crouch, the memory burning his skin like a ghost. "This is her last temple, and everything looks healthy. Maybe the mortals were lying." 

"Persephone said there was no pollen." Hades gazed around. The wheat and barley and oats were all flourishing, as were the grasses and none flowering bushes. "Maybe... Maybe she just won't do spring anymore. Maybe that's what she meant." Hope, Persephone had reminded Hades what hope was, the very first time they'd touched. "And fruit."

"Could be." Poseidon shrugged, shaking his brown hair back. "I just realized. This is... wasn't this the meadow where-"

"Father expelled us back due to Zeus' trick." Hades inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of fresh rain and grass. Two thousand years before, it had smelled like decay and blood and bile. "I can't believe she let mortals build her a temple here." 

"Yeah.... hey, Aidon." Poseidon's voice was soft, and his fingers were large, dry, and strong, not small and sticky with mud as they took his wrist. Hades swallowed hard, looking over at his brother. It had been millennia since anyone used that nick name. The first green Hades had seen, when he looked up from the bile, was the frill eared gangle of a teenager sprawled on his left in the frothy bile, with ichor seeping from his eye. The second had been Demeter's face, framed by the blue sky beyond. Her weight on his body had ripped more skin free when she pushed herself off of him. "The pit in Tartarus is still-"

"Locked down, yeah." Hades adjusted his himation and touched his brother's arm. "Let's go find Zeus." 

Back on Olympus, Persephone sighed as she stared at the array of vases and tapestries strewn across the floor. Every one, in some form or another, was showing the same scene: a mortal looking version of Hades dragging a terrified mortal looking version of herself into his chariot. "This is absurd!" She couldn't believe the lies that were being spread by her mother's priestesses. "Melika!" She tossed another scroll down, making Hera jump out of the way. "Melika!" 

"Here, My Lady!" The wonderful Lampad appeared from the hallway holding a box from Persephone's favorite bakery in her hands. 

"What...what is that?" Persephone gasped in shock, as Galina appeared behind her carrying two boxes of take out. "I was about to ask you to call food in!" She could have kissed her assistant, who brushed her hair back and flashed her a brilliant smile. 

"Galina was getting something for King Zeus and Hades, so I gave her your favorite order as well as what Hades had marked as Queen Hera's favorite. Then I popped down for-"

"Cupcakes!" Hera exclaimed, plucking a rich blue iced one up. "Give her a raise, Persephone, because these are my favorite."

"My Queens, the Kings will be back from the mortal realm shortly." Galina gave a quick bow to Hera, as Persephone had long since told her not to bow to her. "They said they'll be ready to talk as soon as they eat." 

"Is there anything else for you, my lady?" Melika was making an obvious effort not to stare at the way Hera was daintily licking icing off her thumb. Persephone couldn't blame her, Hera was practically radiating in her peacock green flapper dress, complete with the namesake birds embroidered in gold coming down at an angle. 

"No, Trite should be back with the drinks soon. You and Galina take your lunches. Then, if we're still in session with the kings, I'll need you to sit in on the University's budget meeting for me." Persephone touched her arm gently, before gesturing at the cupcake box. "You two ladies can-"

"Nobody is touching those cupcakes, unless they want to die!" Hera slammed the lid back down. Persephone glared at her, shocked at her behavior. She'd been a bit off all morning. Granted, so had Amphitrite and the three kings, but Hera was more so. 

"We have our own, thank you though." The two ladies bowed out, so Persephone rounded on her sister in law. "Those are my-"

"I saved you one." Hera held up the box, which had undoubtedly contained half a dozen cupcakes before. Now only two remained, one in pale blue and one is sea green. "What?" 

"You ate the pomegranate one!" Persephone did her best to keep the indignation off her face, but she obviously failed. Hera shrugged an elegant shoulder, before dropping back onto her chaise lounge. Her nerves were already high and frazzled, and having her favorite cupcake which was obviously supposed to be a treat was irking her beyond annoyance. "That was mine."

"Came from my orchard." Hera shrugged, as she picked up a scroll. "So you've all got it basically confirmed. Hades' migraines have gone, which means the mortals have accepted Demeter's tale." 

"Yes, and our priests and priestesses are doing their best to tell our version, but it's not enough." Persephone lashed out with a vine at a vase, her rage at the unfairness. "Every day, this story keeps spreading. Every major artist is pushing hers instead."

"What exactly is your story again?" Hera hummed, as Amphitrite reappeared with Hebe, pushing the tiny goddess' drink cart. As usual, the mini-Hera was dressed exactly like her mother, only she was holding a cookie instead of cupcakes. 

"Mommy! Auntie Trite said I can sit in with you!" Persephone instantly calmed at the sight of the sweet princess. "Auntie Sephie!" She caught her in a hug, snagging a bite of her cookie. "You need a drink!" She'd barely gotten the little girl back down before she was working alcohol from thin air into a glasses shaped like a rose. 

"Our story is that I sorta found my way to the Underworld, met Hades, fell in love, and decided to stay." Persephone wished she could tell the whole story, but it would reveal too much about the other realms. Too many other deities would have to be in agreement, and their worship could be affected. While Persephone honestly didn't care about Apollo losing followers, she cared about how lack of tributes would affect his job performance and harm the mortals that way. "Nobody will listen to-"

"Did you know that mortals think Poseidon raped me?" Amphitrite chimed in, making Persephone freeze as she finally opened the take away. "One of my brothers, we still don't know which, said it as a joke while disguised with mortals at a tavern. It stuck." The Sea Queen accepted her drink from Hebe. "Been a thousand years, right, and still, the mortals think that!"

"Same with Zeus and I." Hera shrugged, as Hebe touched her palm then dashed to her cart. "There's this insane tale that he disguised himself as a bird, waited for me to save him, then 'ravished me into a shamefult marriage.'" She glanced at Hebe, and Persephone had to pause by the golden queen as she was handing her the food, to hear the rest. "Truth is, We were a bit drunk and experimenting with.... other forms, you know, and a couple of mortals caught him in the act of pinning me down as he shifted back, and... well... yeah." 

"Mmmmhmmm" Amphitrite hummed. Persephone settled into her seat with her tray, when Hebe came hurrying over with a Blushing Lady.

"Thanks, Mimosa." Persephone kissed the little goddess on the head. She hadn't started using Hades nicknames for many of the Pantheon, like Tuto, but Hebe's and Hera's had become as natural ad breathing, "Come sit with me, and I'll share my noodles!" 

"Gotta get Mommy's drink first." Hebe skipped over, touched Hera's hand, made a face, touched it again. "Huh, that's weird." Without expanding on her statement, she returned to her drink cart and began mixing ingredients. Her tiny face was pulled up in a confused scowl. 

"So you all think I should just take these abhorrent lies and let them run! I don't like it!" Persephone stabbed a mushroom with her fork, doing her best to keep her temper in check. Somehow she didn't think Hera would be as comfortable with vines ripping up carpet and wallpaper or shades randomly appearing as Hades was. "They already fear him enough!"

"They fear you more, now, apparently." Hera laughed. "Someone, not one of the main twelve, let it slip that your punishments are worse than Hades'. One of my priestesses referred to you as 'The Iron Queen'." Persephone bit back a sigh, trying to formulate a response but Hera cut in again. "Welcome to the life of a Queen, Persephone. If they aren't talking lies about your marriage, then you aren't doing your marriage right." 

"Mommy, here's your virgin piña colada." Persephone whipped her head to the side at the same time Amphitrite spit her own martini back into the cup. "I put nectar in it instead of rum. That's right, right?" 

"Yes, Princess, of course. Now, why don't you go sit-"

"Hera, um, since when do you drink virgin anything?" Persephone wondered if maybe the lack of alcohol is what had the high queen in a state of oddness. 

"Since her gold ass is pregnant. How far along? Does Zeus know?" Persephone felt her stomach sink and soar all at once, as Hebe wriggled up next to her and stole her fork. The tiny girl seemed completely unphased by the announcement." 

"About a month, um, not yet. I'm telling him tonight." Hera seemed to glow even brighter, her eyes like the summer sky over the snowtipped volcanoes. "A little girl, again, I envisioned her last night." 

"Persephone, girl, you're next. Because, when Hera gets pregnant, it's godsdammed contagious." Amphitrite laughed, tossing an olive at her. Persephone felt her cheeks flush as she surrendered her tray to her niece. Her stomach clenched, and she felt blossoms form in her hair. "Although, maybe a baby is a good idea. Demeter might come off her shit if she knew she was going to have a grandchild." She gasped, as her glass shattered beneath her fingers, slicing the skin. 

"Persephone, what's... are you crying?" Hera was at her side in a flash, taking her hand. Ichor was pouring from the glass filled wounds. "Oh... fuck, you cut yourself."

"I'm fine. I can..." She stood feeling her eyes burn belatedly, knowing it was too late to hide her tears. "Congratulations, um. Can I plan the baby shower?"

"What, yeah. I mean, of course, but your hands. Kore, you're bleeding." Hera grabbed for her hands again, a napkin at the ready. "Hebe, darling. Fetch Mommy the first-"

"I can heal myself. I'll be back." She practically sprinted to the kitchen, which was thankfully empty barring the kitchen nymph, who took one look at the ichor and tears and found it best to flee. Turning on the water, Persephone carefully pulled the shards of glass from her skin, sniffling hard. 

"Persephone... are you? Is there something wrong besides your mom and the mortals?" Chilly fingers grasped her wrist, and Persephone found herself nose to chin with Melika. Galina was nowhere in sight, but that was to be expected. "Here, let me. Sorta my job." Finding her hands shaking, Persephone allowed the Lampad to hold her fingers under the water and continue the cleaning. 

"No... I'm just. I'm overwhelmed." She blew out a breath, letting her forehead rest against her assistant's shoulder. _I don't know why I'm crying. I should be happy. Hera's having a baby!_

"You haven't had a down day in a week, my Queen. Goddess or not, you're gonna burn out." Melika pulled her hand out of the water and produced a paper towel from somewhere. "Hold pressure, while I track down-" 

"No need." Persephone let the power of life and growth and rebirth flood her veins, seeping along her skin in contrast to her dismal tears. She watched the wounds knit themselves closed, sucking in a sobbing breath as she did. "I..." she stared into the Lampad's eyes, trying to find her explanation there. _I never understood how heavy a crown weighed._ "Am I a good-"

"Yes, A good person, a good queen, a good boos, and a good wife." Melika's reassurance had little effect, but Persephone tried her best to smile. She felt like she was being-

"Melika, Hebe wants to make you and Galina drinks. She's never done it for Lampads before." Hera's voice was the epitome of nonchalance. "Kore won't mind." Persephone pulled her hand away and nodded, then she turned to find the two queens examining her. Melika was gone in a blink.

"I know you aren't crying because you can't have kids. You already drunk told us about your birth control side effects!" Amphitrite slid the kitchen door shut. "So what the fuck? Are you and Hades fighting? You used to be this bubble of cheer, but today you're more droll than your husband with a hangover." 

"Hades wants kids now." The words flew out before she realized they'd come to her tongue, and she slammed her hands over her mouth. 

"That's... oh Rhea save me." Hera was a vision of confident grace as she strode over and grabbed her shoulder. "Stop crying! Stop it right now!" She shook her fiercely, and Persephone was too stunned to react. "Don't have kids until you're ready! It's that simple, and if that periwinkle-blue dick asshole is trying to pressure you into-"

"I really don't want to think about how you were giving my husband backseat blowjobs up until twenty years ago." Persephone snapped, shrugging her hands away. "So don't bring up the exact shade of his cock!" Hera stumbled back, looking abashed as Amphitrite snorted. 

"Oh shit! Shots fired."

"He told-"

"Of course!" She slammed her hands into her hair, knocking the flowers there to the floor. "I can cry if I fucking want to."

"Ooooo I'm tellin-"Persephone cut Amphitrite a glare, before she leaned against the counter and felt her entire chest being pressed into. 

"How can I even think about kids, much less sex, when my mother is threatening to starve humanity because of _me_." Hera exchanged an undefinable look with the third sister. "I shouldn't have banished her! This is my fault!" Like the words were a flood gate, everything broke free. 

She sank to the floor not caring that her own ichor that was splattered there was staining her white shoes and mauve skirt. "There it is! Our Persephone's first royal break down." She barely registered Amphitrite's words as Hera folded herself to the floor on Persephone's right and Amphitrite soon joined her. The way they leaned on her, each wrapping an arm around her and pressing their lips to her hair reminded Persephone of her teenage years. 

She'd so rarely been alone, whether to cry or rage or celebrate in joy. There was always a crowd of nymphs with her, tangling fingers and legs and hands. Persephone hadn't realized how much she'd missed it until that moment. "And, Trite, Mama would lose her mind if I was pregnant, she accused Hades of wanting to use me as a baby factory!"

"I was just trying to cheer you up." 

"I know. I'm s-s-s-sorry." Persephone lifted her face, trying to wipe her eyes. It was a feat, considering how tightly Hera and Amphitrite were hugging her. 

"Stop apologizing, Persephone. None of this is your fault." Hera sighed, squeezing her fingers. "You have to stop blaming yourself."

"Hera's right. You are no more at fault for Demeter's tantrum than you are for being raped." Amphitrite's words made Persephone's stomach burn with dry ice. She opened her mouth to argue, but the sea queen didn't stop. "She kept you locked away from the realities of the world. She didn't prepare you for growing up. She only let you come if you had a baby sitter. She didn't pay attention to anything you wanted." The brutal honesty in her words stuck like a knot in Persephone's throat. "She repressed your fertility and shade abilities, which could have driven you insane. She refused to accept your destiny to be Queen, and she refused to treat you as such. Banishing her was your only hope at a peaceful life."

"But she's my-"

"Demeter blaming you and Hades for her actions is no different than Zeus blaming his infidelity on Hera's cold shoulder." Hera snorted indignantly, but Amphitrite seemed unphased. "Everyone is responsible for their own behavior. Demeter's hatred of Hades is all on her. Your decision to be safe and happy and loved with and by him was a strong one. She should be proud she raised you to be so strong and decisive." 

"Thank you so much." Persephone pulled them both closer, kissing their cheeks in thanks. She couldn't help but still feel guilty, but their words were wriggling into her subconscious.

"Hey, we're.... whoa." Poseidon's voice was jovial as always, and Persephone barely had s chance to look up and see him in a ridiculously short chiton that showed off a lot of his sculpted torso before he added. "OUR WIVES ARE CANOODLING ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR!" There was the sound of two large men falling over each other, and Persephone choked on her laugh as Zeus and Hades came shoving their way into the kitchen.

"Okay, you and I need to clarify what canoodling means." Zeus huffed, and Persephone found her husbands eyes. They were tight and tired, and the laughter in them dissipated as he took in the scene. She didn't even want to know how she looked, but it must have been bad. His jaw was suddenly tight. "Why is there blood all over and why do you three look like you just watched some sappy OlympianTimes lovestory?"

"Are we having this meeting or what?" Hera let him help her up, and Persephone found herself in her husbands arms. 

"Later." She promised, as they followed Zeus down to his study.


	57. Chapter 57

"You're sure? It's just the fruits and the flowers?" Persephone fidgeted on Hades' lap. Zeus' home office had limited seating, and the other two queens plus Poseidon had snagged them. She wasn't complaining, really. After her emotional morning having her husband's arms around her was grounding. 

"Positive. Only the things normally affiliated with you have stopped flourishing. Oats, grains, grasses, gourds and other such harvest items are still fine." Poseidon confirmed, and Persephone found herself slightly envious. 

The normally spastic, dudebro king was oozing a silky power that reminded her of the highest tides with his right arm behind Amphitrite on the small couch. The confident, sexual energy between them was as obvious as the sweet looks of affection they'd occasionally shared. Persephone wondered if she would ever be able to think of the things Hades did for, with, and to her without turning into a blushing mess. 

As it were, sitting in his lap was making her want to retreat into the safety of her submissive side, but she also could feel the five pairs of eyes expecting her to be strong, to make the calls, to be decisive and firm and unrelenting as if she were in her courtroom. It was hard to focus, when she wondered if they could all see her need for her husband blooming in her veins. "I could always go up and change that." The silence was deafening, and Persephone felt Hades hands fall from her waist as he gave a throaty whine. "I meant, just for spring. I mean, technically I am the goddess of Spring. I can-"

"And what happens when she captures you huh? You have no royal authority in the mortal realm outside your temples and the graveyards and necropolises." Zeus' voice was more serious than Persephone had ever heard it. It was obvious he had given thought to that already. "She could hold you hostage then." 

"I could send her with an escort." Hades hands had returned, his surprise at her suggestion obviously appeased. She covered them with her own, watching as Zeus leaned back, steepling his fingers under his chin. Hera touched his arm from her chair beside him, and Persephone took their brief pause of whispers to look back at her husband.

"Did you think I would go and stay gone." The cringe in his eyes betrayed him, and she cupped his proud jaw. "I'm your wife. I would never, ever, leave you." His lips were soft on hers, a breath of relief. A clearing throat drew them back. 

"No." Zeus was holding Hera's hand in his on his desk, and Persephone found it again disconcerting how happy and connected they seemed to be. _Has he used his influence over her? Would he? Is it only because she's pregnant?_ "It isn't safe. You are only allowed into the mortal realm where you have royal authority, unless one of the six remaining traitors escorts you." 

"But, if they pollinated plants don't flourish, it'll throw off the entire ecosy-"

"My word is Law, Queen Persephone. Do not make me command Hades to order you into obedience." Hera's sapphire eyes met hers, with a flash of pleading caution. Persephone was beginning to wonder even more, if perhaps Hera's spastic behavior was more than just pregnancy moods. She didn't need her warning, because she still hadn't agreed to let Hades inform them all he'd overridden his power. 

"Yes, High King." She sucked in an angry breath, feeling the rage and sickness at the knowledge that species upon species of animals and insects would die without pollen and fruit. This would lead to many mortal issues as well, and it was all her fault. "Now. I know if we given Demeter some time, she'll come around. It's almost summer, so she'll be busy with blessing crops and whatever else she does. By the beginning of next spring, after the harvest, she'll be over it."

"Keep deluding yourself." Persephone couldn't stand to look at him anymore. It hadn't struck her until that very moment that Zeus smirked and brushed his hair back exactly as Apollo did. If she didn't leave, she was going to lose her shit on him. "Is that all?" 

"Poseidon?" Zeus gestured at his brother. The king of the oceans and seas shook his head. "Hades-"

"No."

"Then that's-"

"Controlling fucko-" Persephone didn't wait for Zeus to respond to being cut off and insulted. She stood from Hades lap and stepped into the ether, transferring herself to her office. With a howl of frustrated tears, she hurled her coat onto the couch, kicked off her heels. She'd barely made it to her desk when firm hands had her by the elbows and were pulling her back.

"That was foolish and petulant." Hades lips were trembling against her ear, and she felt her breath catch. "You keep testing him, Kore. He's not going to tolerate it much longer."

"What's he gonna do, strip me of my status on Olympus and banish me to the Underworld." She yanked away, spinning around to face her husband. He looked furious and starved, much as she felt inside. 

"Was that a jab at me?" Those scarlet irises flashed in warning. "I've spent the last two and a half days trying to find your mother, and you want to take a jab at me?" Persephone spun on her heel, heading to her desk. "Don't you ignore me!"

"Or what?" Persephone was too wired, too infuriated with her mother and Zeus to behave. She wanted to throw something or grow something, to find some outlet for the fury in her core. There was frustration with her husband too. "You'll make me sleep alone, again, for the eighth day in a row?!" 

Hades flinched back at her words. In all honesty, he thought perhaps her attitude had been a lure for some punishment. The last week she had been moody and irritable, a side effect of her birth control adjusting her body the doctor had said. His increased work load, with storm season peaking, hadn't helped, and the two times he had tried to snuggle with her after working late she'd wriggled away and mumbled about being too hot, though the room was chilly. Then Zeus had dragged him to the mortal realm for two whole days.

"I _made_ you? I **made** you?" He swallowed back the insulted sting of her words. "You kicked me out of bed, five nights in a row! I tried-"

"I didn't want you to leave! I just didn't want to be touched!" The grass carpet beneath his feet rustled as if nervous. "I was having hot flashes and cramps! I needed a few inches of space, not a whole fucking floor!" One tiny pink foot stomped down, making her breasts bounce. Hades had to yank his eyes from her cleavage to focus on her face. Now was not the time for his body to remember they hadn't been intimate in a week.

"I'm so sorry! I can't read your mind!" Hades threw his arms up in exasperation at the _Same story, different character._ His mind growled, but his heart clenched as he regretted the thought. _Persephone isn't angry over something petty like a purse or not taking her to a party. She's under a lot of stress. She's still young._ "'No, you're too hot, go away.' Isn't exactly explanatory!"

"It's called fucking asking!" Her hands balled into fists, eyes flashing red, as she shouted. Hades held his ground, though his palm itched to deliver the fifteen 'licks' she'd earned so far. The low cut peasant top shirt heaved over her stomach as she glowered up at him, and Hades had to restrain himself from seizing her hips and kissing her so thoroughly her attitude was gone. "It doesn't even matter!" She turned around, stalking to her desk. 

Hades followed after her. He grabbed for her elbow again, barely missing. He wasn't letting her tell Melika to open her phone, not until this was resolved. "It does, or you wouldn't be shouting at me at work like a spoiled brat!" She spun around, hair nearly whipping his face, and Hades held her stare. "We need to talk about this." He jabbed his finger at her sofa. "Sit down!" 

"Make me!" The challenge snapped from Persephone's lips like a call to arms. 

"Excuse me, Little Goddess, What the fuck did you say?" It took every ounce of control he had not to bodily put her onto the cushions. She was angry, obviously, and they needed to talk about how to work her through it. 

"Make. Me." On perfectly pink manicured finger poked his chest through the chiton hd had yet to change out of. It wasn't a strike or anger or an assault, he knew. Persephone's voice was resistant, challenging, and low, and her lips and jaw were set in defiance. Her gaze, however, was pleading. "Make me sit down, Your Majesty." She poked him again, desperate eyes flicking between his.

Hades felt his fingers flex, and he swallowed. He had to know, to be sure that she was after what he thought. He wanted it too, "Poke me one more time, and your pretty, little, pink ass better start running." _There's her out. If she's doing this to extend the fight, she'll step back. If she-_ His train of thought ended when one, black lace designed nail poked him square in the sternum. "That's it!" He grabbed for her, but she was already around him. "Get back here Kore!" Hades spun in time to see her office door fly open. He gave chase. 

Sliding into the foyer, he saw Hecate gathering papers off the floor, Melika staring in shock at the fire stairs, and Galina scrambling to kill the alarm. "Get back here!" He didn't pause to offer explanation as he hurled himself into the stairwell. Growling, he used the rail to whip himself down the stairs, blinking at finding it empty of all but her perfume. "LITTLE GODDESS!" He bellowed, leaning over to see her dropping through the open space, hair a halo around her, petals gusting back up. "Come here!"

"No!" Came her retort, and Hades hurled himself over the edge to follow after her. He could feel his primal form demanding control, the chase making a feral need struggle for control. She was grabbing a rail and swinging herself into a doorway. "Make me!" 

"Kore!" Hades followed her, ripping the now closed door open, watching the petals burst into the air as Alecto was shoving a satyr snd a naiad against cubicles. Persephone was already leaping over a cart full of boxes. "When I get me hands on you, Little Queen!" He roared, not caring an ounce at the stunned looks as he barreled after her. "Move!" A lampad jerked back into her cubicle, and Hades growled as Persephone shoved open another door. 

"You won't catch me!" She trilled, that sickly sweet allure of her primal voice vibrating out as the door slammed behind her. Hades registered the fangs flashing and mahogany of her eyes before she disappeared down more stairs. _Oh, so it's like that!_

Shoving the door open, Hades unleashed his control, letting his power flow. "Persephone!" He howled, hurtling over a rail to plummet through the whirlwind of rose petals and forget-me-nots. He didn't feel the trepidation that normally came with revealing himself in public, but he didn't need to, when he watched her whip herself into a shadowed landing in basement four. "This is the only exit!" He bellowed, ripping the door open to find both Thanatos and Hermes looking confused.

"What the fuck is up with her?"  
"Boss?"

"Get out!" The pair ducked around him. Hades slammed the door behind them. "Kore... there's no way out." He rolled his neck, feeling his body yield to the desires the chase had brought forth. "I can smell you." He inhaled the air, smirking as the trail of petals ended by her old desk. The scent of honeysuckle and fresh spring water and vanilla was saturating the air. His Queen was as aroused as he was, and the knowledge made his mouth water and ever hardening cock flex. "I'm going to find you, and when I do, oh, Little Goddess. Just you wait."

Persephone gasped for air, biting her lip into her mouth, not caring about the pain of her fangs. In her mad dash to expend her pent up energy and goad her King into finally giving her attention, she'd failed to remember the Library of Souls had one door, just one, since everyone allowed in there alone could transfer. She shot down an aisle, keeping her feet up so as not to make a sound. 

The deep, gravel, earthquake of Hades' primal voice was so tempting. Every fiber of her wanted to stop, to turn back, to find him and let the chase end, but she didn't. Persephone didn't know why, but she needed this. She _needed_ Hades to hunt her, to corner her, to make her feel pursued and captured. It was like a craving she'd never felt.

"Kore." Came his voice, a predator trying to lure out the prey with a false sense of passivity. "Come now, you can't escape." She lifted up enough to peak through the empty space of scrolls on the upper shelves. Her Aidoneus was stalking towards her, skin as deep as beryls, constellations of silver exploding beneath his skin, as his hair, glowing and wavy, framed his face. Deep inside of her, need was demanding she quit. 

"No." She hissed, groaning as her body blossomed under her clothes. Dropping down, she whoosed through more aisles, trying to circle back to the door. Yet, the moment she reached what she thought was freedom, his voice snickered from the next row over. 

"Now, am I going to spank you before or after I fuck you senseless?" 

"Sugar snaps." Persephone keened under her breath as she spun back the way she came. There should have been an alcove for the shredder there, but she found herself facing a dusty wall of scrolls that stretched to the ceiling. Sucking in a breath, she resisted the urge to cup herself through her skirt. "This way." She pressed onward to her right, as the unmistakable smell of a campfire in the night drifted towards her. She sprinted forward, seeing a new gap in the shelves, but a dark, star speckled arm flew in front of her, and the hunting king filled the gap. 

"Gotcha!" 

Persephone squealed and spun, sprinting back up the aisle she'd come down, banking left then right then left and left, until she found herself in a section of the soul library with old lampad torches flickering in the dark, and scrolls that must have been a thousand years old strewn across the floor and table. The layer of dust and the animal skin covered chair behind the main table spoke volumes, as did the sign she'd passed that had read:

**King Hades available by appointment only**

The wall behind was bare, hewn from the natural rock of the earth, and a golden goblet clinked when she kicked it, ripping away from  
The old, spilled wine that stained the cold, stone beneath her feet and surrounding scrolls. Two more splotches of red coated the walls to the right of the ancient desk, with ancient clay bottles shattered beneath them.

"The prey stumbles into the hunter's lair." Persephone spun, finding Hades crouching in the only way out. "Such an amateur move." The proud, starved, predatory gleam in his sanguine eyes made her gasp in yearning pleasure. "Nowhere to go now, Little Queen." 

"Up!" Persephone leapt into the air, but he was too fast. With a growl like a volcano awaking, her King caught her and rolled over the desk. He cradled her to him, and she felt no pain as she found herself lifted and pinned by her wrists to the wall. "Yes! Yes!" 

"I'm going to fuck you so hard, you're not going to be able to walk," His eyes burned into hers, making Persephone's heart leap into her throat. The urge to struggle and flee was fading, muted by the desperate hunger flooding her core with fire. "You have thirty seconds to get off whatever clothes you don't want me to shred."

"Yes Sir." Persephone gasped, as her hands were freed. Without hesitation, she tossed the frantic frustrations of her morning aside with her shirt. She didn't remember how the rest of her clothes were removed, but somehow she was sprawled across the long forgotten desk with a feral king between her thighs. "Hades, I,  
oh!" She writhed in shocked pleasure as his fingers slipped between her folds. All thoughts but his touch were obliterated. 

"Kore, Kore, Kore." Hades didn't bother hiding his amused chuckle at how soaked his naughty wife was already. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you wanted to be pinned down and punished." He dipped one finger into her dripping center, barely giving her the satisfaction, growling at the desperate, wordless whine. "Oh, is this not enough,"

"Please! Love, I need-" Hades pulled his hand away, turning her over so her succulent ass was exposed to him. "Why'd you-"

"I'll take a third of your punishment now, and you can come. The other two thirds are due after dinner." Persephone made a strangled mewling noise as she gripped the edge of the desk. Her whole body was erupting in more lush foliage, and Hades laughed at the way she wriggled her hips and looked back. Her feral eyes were pleading, but her lips were pulling back over her fangs in challenge.

"Don't growl at me!" Hades delivered a smack to her rear, growling in pleasure at the way she called out the number. "You need to use your words better!" He rubbed the fuchsia mark glowing in the torchlight. Persephone was already panting, and Hades knew he was too. The hunger for their bodies together was almost overwhelming, but this was first. "Count!"

"Two!" Persephone's flowers burst gold pollen out as his palm met her flesh again, and the scent ensnared him. Leaning down he laved his tongue over the raised hand print, tasting the enticing pheromones bursting from her pores, soothing the impact to prepare her for more.

"You can't pick fights at work!" He delivered another strike, grunting when she lifted her head back and cried out. Vines burst to life along the walls of his oldest chambers. He delivered another, grunting when Persephone rocked back, her ass brushing his neglected cock. "Last one, don't you scream." Hades delivered the final strike, and his Queen made a choked mewl. "Good girl."

"Please, please, take me! Hard I-" Hades rested his hand over her inflamed flesh, her wriggling making it difficult to properly ease her discomfort. "I can't stand it! I'm going insane!"

"I'll show you insane." Hades tossed the furs he'd long since forgotten he'd once worn to the floor, then he picked up his wife and laid her back onto them. He shoved her thighs open, mouth watering at how her folds and curls were drenched with her need. Her diamond like nails dug into his wrists and Hades felt his fragile control snap.


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short  
> Dirty  
> Kinky  
> Smut  
> With fluffy at the end

Persephone gasped when Hades strong fingers closed around her wrists. His expression was wild, breaths coming in growling pants. He had her wrists by her ears, fingers tight around them. His whole body was pressing into her, thigh slotting between her legs. "Aidon-" His lips were on hers, blazing against the chill of the room. She yielded to the need in veins, grunting when his teeth nipped her and he knocked her thighs apart. "Gods!" She howled when he rutted hard against her, missing the mark in his urgency. She tried to break his grip, to get her hand down to guide him, but he tightened his fingers and shoved them up higher.

"No! Stop moving!" His hissed warning came at the same time he found her center and buried himself half way a single motion. The anticipated intrusion made her cry out, arching her back when he slid out to rock into her with a growl. It was ecstasy as stretched her untouched body, feeding the aching need. She tried to curl her legs, but Hades had set a relentless rhythm that made it almost impossible for her to move. "Fuck, fuck! So tight, so wet! Mine!" 

"Yours!" Pointed teeth found her neck, and the feral feelings of power inside of her called approval at the bite. Each thrust was rocking her against the soft, long forgotten furs on the hard ground, sending sensations through her over sensitized skin. The push, pull, stretch, and fill of her husband's hard body was intoxicating. It was all she could feel, all she could comprehend. 

Persephone tossed her head, clenching her fists, and curling her toes as her body tried to find an outlet for the sensations driving her near to insanity. She tried to speak, to beg, to plead him to give her more, but her vocabulary seemed to disappear. Vaguely, she realized, she was keening out like a small animal, her noises lost in the bass gravel of Hades' growls and grunts and shouts. She lifted her head, yanking her neck free of his teeth, mewling at the burning scrape of his fangs, then whimpering in victory when his parted lips covered hers. 

"Mine!" There was a demand in his snarl, her left had slipping free when his right flew down to cup her throat, fingers tightening on the sides, making her breath catch. Like a switch, her pleasure began pooling in her core, shoving her to the edge. She clung to his shoulder, gasping into his tongue, so close. Her cheeks throbbed and stars danced behind her eyes as he tightened his fingers just so. "Now!"

Persephone exploded, hand falling to the furs, fisting them, the blood rushing from her head making her world spin. The pleasure was electrifying, jolting her, drowning her, as her king paused only long enough to turn her over snd sink into her from behind. "Yes! Yes!" His fingers were tight in her hair, other nails biting her hip as he pulled her head back, holding her up, and burying himself in time to her aftershocks. 

"Kore!" His rhythm faltered, and she found herself pinned again, his fingers on her wrists above her head, teeth on the back of her neck, as he growled his victory. She could feel him erupt inside of her, a volcano of frustration unleashed, sating the starving Queen in her soul. His weight was heavy, though not oppressive, when he collapsed onto her, shuddering, his still hard cock twitching, giving minute thrusts as he jerked above her. 

Persephone didn't know how long they lay like that, naked, exposed, sweat slicked, but Hades' arousal never softened. He never slipped from her body. Gradually she felt the ringing in her ears fade, her heart slow, snd her lungs stop gasping for air. Her king was still trembling above her, though his teeth grew dull and flat against her skin snd his nails lessened from claws to trimmed perfection on her wrists. The world was full of flowers and gems, swirling her around, soothed by the visceral way he'd taken her.

"Aidoneus." She sighed, letting her eyes flutter open. Persephone hadn't realized she had even begun to doze until she spoke. "Hades." 

"Mmmm" Came his groggy reply, hips rolling, rocking him deeper into her. "Oh... fuck. Persephone..." the worship in his voice ignited her again.

"Yes... again." She writhed under him, trying to ilk more movement.

"No, Little Goddess. Wait." Hades rolled off of his wife, collapsing back onto the furs, hissing at the chilly air on his heat soaked erection.  
"Don't move." He needed to check her over, and he winced at the bruises already forming on her wrists and hips. "Did I hurt you?" _I was too rough. I was._ The bite marks across her shoulders and neck violently magenta, with pools of gold ichor visible just below the surface in some. "Oh, gods!" He rolled her over, heart racing again, observing the fingemarks on thr sides of her throat.

"What?" Persephone looked completely at ease, swollen lips parted in a cat atenthe canary smile, eyes heavy with satisfaction. "Aidoneus... what's wrong."

"I left bruises!" Hades wanted to throttle himself for not reining himself in more. Then, he hadn't ever had sex while giving into his primal side. "Why didn't you safeword!" He had left marks on her before, but never so obvious. 

"I like them." Persephone's pleasure slicked voice was soft, as she crawled into his lap. Her words helped, but the fears simmered below his thoughts. "And I didn't safeword because it wasn't too much." Her lips were whisper soft against his chest. "I'm fine. I needed it. I needed you that hard. I needed to not focus on anything but us." Her fingers pressed into his jaw, and Hades turned down to find himself drowning in heady pools of ambrosia. "Mmm my butt is-" Slapping himself for forgetting, Hades began rolling her bruised flesh tenderly. 

"Are you sure I didn't take too much?" He swallowed hard, feeling uncertainty cloud the brilliant satisfaction in his veins. 

" _My King,_ you took exactly what I needed to give." Her fingers tickled across his chest, as her lips pressed into his neck. "I didn't even know I needed it until we were running." He stroked her tangled hair, brushing three diamonds the size of his pinky nail from the flowers there. "Are you okay? Did I ask too much of you?" The concern in her voice was so sincere that Hades' mind spun, disoriented by the turned tables. 

"No. Of course not... thank you, for asking." He let his forehead drop to hers, sharing the sweet flavor of her breaths through their parted lips. Her question was like a balm, soothing his fear and doubt and regret. Nobody had ever askew him if he was okay before, ever. "You're shivering." He flailed for her clothes, but she clung to him and whined. "Do you mind if I pull these over-"

"Please." He fell back onto the black fur she had been sprawled on, and pulled a golden one up over her body and his waist. Hades did his best to ignore how each wet movement of her curls against his body had him dying to sink into her again. "I need to tell you something before we talk about anything else."

"Okay." Hades cradled her close, letting her use his arm as a pillow while he stroked her cheek with the thumb of his free hand. "Although, we probably should have talked before playing catch the queen." She smacked his chest softly, affectionately, with no hint of malice. "Sorry. I'll stop." 

"Remember, um, we talked about babies." Hades felt his stomach flip. There was something in her eyes, trepidation, maybe uncertainty. _she can't be. She's got a month left on her shot._ "I'm not ready. I want to wait for a year or two." He blew out a breath, closing his eyes. He knew why. She was under stress and was learning her role as queen. Yet, the nagging voice murmured. _She thinks you'd be a shit father_. "Hades... I do want to have kids with you, so whatever is in your mind, stop. I do."

"What brought this on? Is this why you were so snappy with us?" 

"Can't tell anyone yet, but Hera's pregnant." Hades felt stunned at the news. Last he'd heard from Hera, she was done having children. Hebe and Eris were a handful. "They jokingly said I was next, and... I.. it felt too overwhelming. I'm not ready. Please don't be-" Hades kissed his wife softly, offering her what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. 

"I'm not angry. I'm not. I understand. I'll wait a thousand years if you need to." The way she melted into his kiss was perfection. "Now, anything else on your mind?"

"I want to help the mortals. Escort me, I can-"

"Zeus commanded us not to take you to the mortal realm for anything other than royal duties or market trips until further notice. Using your spring powers is a one way ticket to house arrest." Hades winced at the edict still humming in his mind. "He's right, its the only way to stop a blood feud. If Demeter took you... I don't think you understand what I'd do to get you back." He would be lying if he didn't admit he'd already formed battle strategies in case. 

"I understand, because I would burn the realms down to save you." Persephone sighed, and Hades understood why. Again, choices made for her. 

"Ahem" Hecate's voice was obviously annoyed beyond the shelves. "Hermes and Thanatos need to get to work, and they can't with you too mauling each other in the archives." 

"Be right out." Hades waited for the sound of her leaving, then made to grab his clothes. He grunted when Persephone pushed him back down with a soft kiss. 

"One more." She breathed, her fingers already taking his still hard member in hand. Then she was sinking onto him with a whimper. _who am I to deny her anything?_ Hades held his fingers up to let her grab them to balance herself, and he surrendered to his queen's gentle undulations.


	59. Chapter 59

"Construction starts tomorrow, huh?" Athena's voice was welcome, as Persephone peered around for her husband. "Three months as queen, and I've never seen the Underworld receiving so much positive publicity." 

"I'll take the positive publicity about the new parks and university over the other crap." Persephone heaved as sight, smoothing her pale blue blouse into the black, pinstriped pencil skirt. She didn't want to think about the accusations being circulated in the gossip rag, but it was hard to avoid when the reporters for them were half a football field away filing into the media area. 

"I haven't see any negative ones." Persephone jumped, but Athena didn't flinch as a small black owl, no bigger than Pomelia, circled her head and promptly settled onto Athena's shoulder. "Spiro, that was rude." She huffed at the little bird, who nibbled the silver goddess' ear with a soft ruffle of wings. "What are the gossip rags on about?"

"A few got ahold of the fact that Mama is refusing to grow anything that requires traditional pollination like flowers and fruit and certain nuts because of the wedding." She glanced around again, watch Melika on her phone pacing in circles and talking animatedly. Her assistant had gotten a call five minutes before and stepped away. "So far it hasn't caused much issue, but its been a month." Persephone checked her watch. The ground breaking ceremony was starting in fifteen minutes, and her King still hadn't returned from Olympus. Zeus had summoned him two hours before, physically summoned him, and Persephone hadn't known where to transfer too until Thetis had told Galina who told Melika that he'd be back in time.

"So, they heard-"

"But they also heard her reason is he kidnapped me. I mean, obviously he didn't." Persephone wasn't quite phased by that. The newest rumors were the worst. "They're also saying he and I are working together to decrease tributes to other deities. After all, he gets his tributes through blood sacrifice, and I haven't really been worshipped until now. My tributes are made with his..." 

"So, they're saying you two are, what, trying to impoverish the rest of the pantheon?" Athena gave a laugh, making Spiro flap again. "Well, don't sweat it. Uncle Hades has had worse said, and you will too." The silver goddess touched her cheek affectionately, and Persephone relaxed some. She gave off a similar energy as her uncle: wise, dorky, protective, and soothing. "Don't worry about Demeter. Hestia and I were there just this weekend. The only thing Demeter asked was if we'd seen you, and if you were pregnant yet."

Persephone groaned inwardly. That was another thing flying around. Three months married, and every celebrity rag was either speculating she'd either start showing soon or that there was secret troubles since there hadn't been an announcement. "Well I hope you told her I'm not." She had made it abundantly clear to their friends and family that she and Hades had decided to wait at least two years. 

"Of course." Athena gave a casual shrug with her owl free shoulder. "Even if you were. It isn't our place to tell her." 

"Is Hestia still mad at me?" Persephone hadn't spoken to her since the proposal party, though she'd wanted to. She hadn't known what to say or how to even broach the subject of her leaving the Maidenhood via shotgun wedding. The conversations then had been crisp and short. 

"She isn't mad, Perse, she's upset with herself. She started the Maidenhood to protect women from unwanted masculine approaches and claims." Athena looked away, her silver cheeks darkening to almost tungsten. "I was pretty mad at myself too, but, I think logically. Hestia... she's more emotional with her thinking. You two should have a bake date or something." Those stormy eyes danced in the mobile stadium lights illuminating the gathering crowd.

"You're just saying that because you miss my blueberry cobbler." Persephone winced as some photographer flashed a camera nearby. Her stomach churned, palms sweaty, as she checked her watch again. "Where is he, Thena?"

"He'll be here." She envied the cool confidence Athena exuded. Persephone couldn't help but feel on edge. She was supposed to be speaking, and Hades had promised he'd be there. She was secretly terrified of going in front of a hundred or so people, with cameras flashing. "You think he'll make you face your first public speech alone?

"No, but your father might." It had been a rough two weeks, since she'd sassed off to Zeus and disappeared from his office. The purple king hadn't taken her insult well, and he was treating her with cool disregard. "I insulted him, in his office, and I haven't apologized."

"Fair point." Athena conceded, but still looked unphased. "He'll be here." 

Persephone pretended to straighten her coat to wipe her hands. She'd done spelling bees and debate team in her teens. She'd won medal after medal in science fairs and swimming competitions. Yet, somehow, the prospect of being on stage, broadcasted live across the three kingdoms, standing alone as Queen made her feel faint. _Will Mama be watching on her phone? Is she really calming down? She has to._

Persephone would be lying if she admitted she felt a bit like a prisoner. She never, truly, understood how good it was disguise herself as a mortal and wander stall to stall in a market, or join priestesses bathing in a spring, or even use her powers to make little children in the meadows have plenty of flowers for their games until she was restricted. 

"Persephone, their ready to start." Melika touched her arm, and Persephone felt her stomach church. "Galina hasn't heard from Hades or gotten an answer to her Email to Thetis." 

"I'll be right here." Athena assured her, and Persephone made her way up to the podium. 

_What will they say about their king being absent?_ She mused as Athena stepped up to the podium to give a spiel on knowledge snd learning and the importance of encouraging the pursuit of knowledge. _Is this Zeus' intention? He'll keep Hades away so that everyone thinks he doesn't support this or my ideas?_ Cameras flashed, and Athena's speech fell on her ears like words on a page in a dream. Persephone knew _what_ she was saying, but she couldn't understand the words. 

"Your Queen, Persephone!" Athena's bow made Persephone want to vomit, but she stepped forward anyways. The podium was taller than she was, which made her groan, until she felt her shoe hit something and realized that someone had left a step for her to use. Walking up it, she gripped the wood and swallowed hard. 

"Thank you, Lady Athena!" Persephone smiled, turning her eyes on the crowd. She felt suddenly too warm, too stuffy in her thick suit coat. The lights were blinding her, making the crowd swim. "When I became Queen, your Queen, I swore to myself, to Hades, and the citizens of the Underworld that I would do nothing but work to be a good ruler."

Hades had been adamant that she use the term ruler and not leader. _The six monarchs rule, and the rest of the deities lead their factions. Own your title, or the people will think you're ashamed._ She did her best to keep her voice stable and confident. "My first few weeks living here, I came to learn that while we are the richest realm, we lacked things that made us desirable for anything other than work." Persephone drew a breath, hoping nobody had heard her voice squeak. "I also learned that our citizens were often stereotyped and passed over for opportunities that they deserved." 

She gestured to the massive empty space to the right of the reporters. It was just outside of the heart of the city, and it had apparently been zoned for a brand new subdivision twenty years before. The plans had fallen through, though, and instead expansions to other developments began. "So, much like I've implemented projects at the schools and parks with gardens, King Hades and I have decided it is beyond time that the Underworld has its own university." There was a small round of applause, and Persephone was glad her speech was almost over. 

"Lady Athena, a favorite Olympian with King Hades and myself, has worked with us tirelessly to ensure that our curriculum rivals, and surpasses in some aspects, that of Olympus and the Seven Seas." She smiled, looking back at her friend and now niece by law. "We will also be working to make sure that our extracurricular departments are just as competitive." 

Persephone paused again, feeling her heart pounding. This was the part where she was supposed to call Hades up for his speech, but a glance back showed her he was still absent. Judging by the whispers, the media hadn't failed to notice either. "So, without further ado. It's time to break ground on Underworld University!" She stepped back and down, carefully, to make her way down to the sectioned off area. The three golden shovels were waiting, as was the head of the construction team. _Where is he? They'll notice now, for sure. So much for a unified stance._ She accepted the one handed to her. 

"Great speech, Little goddess." Hades' voice soft, as the wafting aroma of a fire reached her nostrils. She looked up to find him holding the shovel, eyes full of apology. "I caught it online waiting for Zeus to call off my summons." His gloved fingers released the handle. It was obvious he had materialized just as she reached the area. 

"Yours was going to be so much better." Hades smiled at the relief in her eyes. He leaned down, kissing her softly, before taking his own shovel. He was doing his best to keep his face straight, but the dread was boiling in his stomach. He also hoped the lights would drown out slap mark on his cheek. _Demeter is entirely lucky that Persephone was not there for that._

"Only because you wrote it." He righted himself in time to press a kiss to Athena's cheek. "Hi Tuto." He extended his free hand to let them pass to the center of the sectioned area. A moment of settling had him center with his queen on his right and the wisest goddess in the entire pantheon on his left. 

"Ready?" He nodded at them, then in sync, they sank their shovels in and smiled at the press. He was eager for this to be over, so as the cameras snapped, he whispered to them. "No questions, short meet and greet, then into Basil's car." 

Persephone obviously detected his unhappiness, because she didn't question it. Passing the shovels back to the ceremony team, she turned to the press. Hades wanted to worship at her feet when she looked dead into the lenses, smiled, and said firmly. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the question portion has been cancelled. If you direct them via email to the Underworld Corps. PR department, We will answer them." 

"Everything okay?" Athena queried, and Hades nodded towards the waiting limo. He didn't want to say anything until they were all safely inside. He wanted to keep Athena in the conversation, in order to keep Persephone calm. His news was going to be shocking.

"You never rush out of press conferences. What is wrong?" Persephone turned as soon as the door shut. Basil was starting the car, and Hades groaned as he leaned back. "Is that handprint?! Who hit you? I'll kill-"

"Your mother." Double gasps made him meet their gazes. "That's why I was gone so long. The three of us paid your mom a visit." He loosened his tie, as he wife surged forward, palm glowing, and touched the mark. "We pleaded with her to resume her duties outside of harvest and grains." 

"And she slapped you?" Athena looked perturbed, and Hades was relieved that the throbbing in his jaw was fading. He shook his head, trying to find a way to get the newest threat out. 

"Then why?" Persephone's had fell away, and Hades rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Aidoneous, out with it!"

"Because I called her a control freak who needed counseling over her abandonment issues." He winced, recalling how the green goddess' purple eyes had flashed in pain. "And that she needed to accept the fact that you're a grown ass woman, my Queen, and the best course of action is to reconcile instead of trying to force her will on you like." He felt his cheeks flame in shame, but it couldn't be helped. If he didn't say it, Zeus or Poseidon would. "Like Apollo did."

"Hades!" Persephone covered her mouth, and he looked down at his palms. He had tried hard to apologize, but Demeter had already launched herself at him. It had taken Poseidon bear hugging her into submission to give Zeus time to tranfer them out. "Why were you even there? She hates you three." 

"Me... she only hates me." Hades shook his head again, wondering if Demeter was truly going to follow up with her threats. "She said I have until the end of spring to order your return. If not, she will not seed the harvest, and she will allow Boreas to bring the northwind to bear on the mortals." 

"What? _what_?" Persephone looked like he'd just told her he was leaving her. Before he could move, Athena had Persephone wrapped in a hug. "If she doesn't seed the harvest, then... then how will the mortals eat while the soil replenishes during autumn?" He could see this was not escaping her understanding either. He just wished his niece would relinquish his wife. "Boreas.... Boreas... wait! Isn't he the winter wind god? He keeps it cold here and on the mountains! The mortals will freeze!" 

"I know!"

He'd seen his wife broken, burned, and bloody. He'd seen her at her lowest, and her most hurt. Hades had seen her rage and fury. Those he could handle. What he couldn't handle was the look of utter hopelessness on her features. "Stop the car! Stop the car!" Persephone was sobbing, and before Hades could react, Basil was slowing. "I have to think! I need to think! I need space!" The car hadn't fully stopped before the pink goddess was climbing out snd vanishing from sight. For the first time since he rescued her, he had no idea where she was going.

"Demeter's going to win." He sighed, staring down at the wedding band on his finger. Hades could compete against the entire pantheon. He knew with a certainty Persephone would choose him over all of them. That same certainty told him she would dismember him and herself and smile while doing it, if it meant protecting innocent lives. "I find my queen, the love of my eternity, and my soulmate, and I'm going to lose her."

"Uncle Hades, Don't talk-"

"Basil, take the day off with pay." He stepped out of the stopped car, pulled out his phone, and texted Hecate and Galina.

**I'm not coming in.**

**Also, I'm turning my phone off.**

**Don't come looking for me.**

**I'll be at home, drowning my divorce with wine.**

He was so used to losing, to never being happy, that the old feelings ate at him again. _I should have known it wouldn't last. My fate is loneliness, even if I have a queen._ Hades stepped through to his wine cellar, looking up at the racks. 

"Fuck it..." he grabbed three bottles and carried them up to his study. Retrieving the corkscrew and his favorite cigars, he sank to the sofa. "Fuck everyone. I should have known that happiness doesn't last."


	60. Chapter 60

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bring tissues

Persephone had just needed space, somewhere to be alone, but she didn't have anywhere. The Underworld and Olympus weren't like her mother's farm and estate. She hadn't explored, and with her marriage to Hades, she hadn't needed somewhere to be alone. He was her solace, her safe place to land, her comfort, and the only thing that could quiet her tempest thoughts. 

So, she found herself transferring aimlessly, seeking something that resembled sanity, peace, and a pressure-less atmosphere. 

Poof-Hera's garden? No, not with Zeus in the house.

Poof-Eros' apartment? No, not with Psyche prone to wandering.

Poof-Ares' training grounds? No, definitely no peace there.

Poof-Artemis' yard? Tartarus no.

Persephone could find no refuge, no escape from the terror gripping her heart. She could stay with her love, and cause the death of millions, or she could return to the mortal realm, and never escape again, never see her husband, never feel his touch, never have their 'wedding', and never carry his child. Every way she chose, she lost. "I don't know where to go!" She shouted into the ether. 

This was a torment a girl should ask her mother, but, her mother was the cause. Demeter was ripping her in half, and she just wanted to be hugged back together. For the first time, Hades couldn't do that. Suddenly, bright, golden light infused the ether, and she heard a beckon. 

"Little Queen, my Sweet pea blossom, come to me. Come rest!" There was a soft laughter that reminded Persephone of her mother on full moon summer nights. "You're giving Nyx a migraine! Come to me!" Persephone threw herself into the light, and when she opened her eyes she was staring up into a radiant magenta face. 

"Mama Rhea!" Persephone sobbed and threw herself into the Titan Queen's embrace. "Mama Rhea! Mama Rhea." Finally, the tears broke free, as the warm, maternal arms encircled her and cradled her head to her chest. "I can't do this! I can't choose! It's not fair!" 

"Shhhh, shhhh my little Dove." Persephone breathed in the scent of life, of birth, of freshly tilled soil and morning dew in the dawn light. "Has my Aidoneus upset you so?" She shook her head and sobbed harder into her chest. "Come here and have some tea." She pulled back long enough to follow Rhea a room that overlooked the garden where children were playing. "Now, what has you in such a fuss, my little Asphodel?"

"My mother and Hades." Persephone sank onto the sofa, again feeling confusion at the way the Titaness' power could alter the entirety of the house to suit the needs of Rhea or guests. "My mother, she doesn't approve of our marriage. She wants me to leave Hades and return to the mortal realm." 

"It is more than that, go on." Persephone heaved a sigh, as her Mama-in-law began pouring steaming water from a kettle she'd taken from the fire. "I know Demeter. She does not ask. She gives ultimatums." There was no hiding from the woman's ancient gaze. "What had she threatened?" 

"If Hades does not order my return by spring's end, then... she'll." Persephone choked on the words. The images flooded her mind, as they had when Hades spoke. _Barren fields covered in frost lined the horizon. Wild game and livestock lay panting for air as their emaciated frames littered the fields. Skeletal figures buried children and the elderly in mass graves, as the food ran out. The beach was crowded with souls, and every one accused her husband with curses._ "She'll refuse to seed the harvest." 

Mama Rhea gave a snort, as she passed Persephone her cup. She hadn't even realized the dawn crowned Queen had been stirring in the milk and sugar. "She would never. Demeter may be many things, but-"

"She has already stopped spring." Persephone choked on her own tears as she nearly spilled her tea. "She was doing spring while I was... at school. She... no fruit or flowers have bloomed in over a month." More tears burst free, and she tried to steady her hands. Her cup rattled against the saucer, and Rhea was staring at her mouth agape. "If... if I choose Hades, I doom all of Greece to death." She sat the tea down, unable to stomach even a sip. "If I return, she'll trap me and and never let me see Hades again." 

"I see." Rhea also sat her cup down. "So, you face the dilemma. Your happiness or hers, and she has trapped you." Persephone watched as Rhea fiddled with a ring on her finger. There were three stones: blue, purple, and green. "Kronos did the same to me, only... he made sure his wants reigned. Even with my little Zeus, I only held him for three hours before I hid him away. I tried to be a mother, but I could only ever be his wife." 

Persephone felt her swell as it recognized the kindred spirit. "I can either be a wife and mother or be a captive daughter." 

"There is one thing you have that I did not, though." Rhea's fingers were warm as they took hers, ever so softly. "Compromise." Persephone blinked, confused by the word. "You are what Demeter wants, so you hold the power. Present a compromise." 

"I have! I told her if she could accept I was happy, I would stay-"

"No, no... the point of a compromise is to make each side feel they won in some way." Rhea's lips pulled up in a soft smile, as she slipped her arm around her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll think of something." 

Persephone rested her head against Rhea's shoulder, grateful for the comfort of her embrace. "I don't know how. I can't even-"

"Just rest, little Dove." Rhea began to hum a tune, not quite a lullaby, and Persephone let her eyes close. 

She didn't sleep, but Persephone wasn't exactly conscious of her thoughts. All she felt was a motherly touch on her hair and the aroma of fresh tea with candied fruit in her nostrils. 

_She wandered a field, somewhere on the outskirt of her mother's estate. The grass beneath her feet was perfectly lush it sprang back into place when her feet moved. Flowers cascaded from her hands. High above her, Helios' light filled the sky. Slowly, the lush foliage of spring turned hot and dark, and around her fruit trees began to fill._

_Summer was humid around her, full of citrus and jasmine. She hummed in contentment, as the familiar trails of elbow high grass parted around her. The scent of growing grains and oats reminded her of late nights around a fire, and Mama singing about sowing the harvest for prosperity._

_Suddenly, quicker than spring was gone, the grasses stretched above her head, golden in the harvest moons' light. The grains were ready for reaping, and she let the wheat flow through her fingers. Then, the harvest was gone, and the fields were barren. Persephone spun in place, waiting for harvester's autumn to end and spring to begin again._

_It didn't come, but snow did, cascading upon the ground as two hands gripped her arms. One was blue and one was green. The blue tugged six, pulling her further into the snow, and the green tugged six, pulling her back to summer and spring. Though the fingers were on her arms, they felt like they were ripping at her heart._

_"No!"_

Persephone jerked upright, her heart racing, and she was surprise to find a floor full of children staring at her with bowls of pomegranate seeds in their lap. "What's snow?" Asked a little girl.

"Mama Rhea!" Persephone jumped tor her feet, finding the Titaness. "I have to go." She didn't wait for a response. She didn't have her answer yet, but it was there. Persephone needed to talk to Hades. She needed to know more about winter, and it reigned eternal in their domain.

She transferred to his office, finding it dark and empty. Everything was as untouched as it had been that morning when he was summoned. Stepping back into the ether, she found herself at home. "Hades! Hades!" 

The pups didn't come running, and a draft filled the hallway. Persephone hurried to the kitchen, finding the door to the play yard wide open. Snow was blowing into the room. The food was out, so they'd been fed. They were all frolicking in the drifts outside. It made sense, considering she'd been gone for.... "oh my gods! I was in Elysium for eight hours?!" 

Something crunched beneath her feet, and Persephone looked down to see it was a shattered wine bottle. Hades' favorite scotch label was nearby, ripped between two shards of the bottle. While the wine looked dropped, this looked hurled. The brown stained the wall. "No... Hades!" She found his suit cost on a lamp beside the stairs, and his tie over a bannister, "Hades!" She tripped over his shoes on the landing outside his office. Two more wine bottles were there, though they were empty instead of destroyed. 

"Aidoneous!" Persephone gave a sob she pushed open his office door. Her king was slumped on the floor beside his sofa, the bottle of Hera's favorite gin in his hand, and a cigarette in the other. Four empty packs were crushed beneath scattered bottles, and his cigar box was overturned and empty next to an over flowing ashtray just out of his reach. Guilt ripped through her, as she realized what had happen. The King of the Underworld had broken. "Hades?" She staggered forward, kicking the trash aside. _Is he passed out?_ the cherry of the smoke was dangerously close to falling. Then Hades moved, taking a long swig of gin before drawing off the cigarette. 

"Fuck.... 'salmost gone." Before she could grab him, Hades was chugging the last few swallows and tossing the bottle aside. There was a lull, where he drew an inhale off his smoke before he huffed and held it to his his squint. "You're a fuckin' brave lil nym.. nym... girl to w-w-wander inta mah home." His voice was so slurred. "Well, you s-s-s-hould leave, afore the Queen catshes you here. She's.... pfffffft...she's...the love of my life." 

Persephone felt her heart shatter as she knelt beside him and reached out to his ash, snot, and tear streaked face. "Oh... my Aidoneus. What have you done?" There wss no doubt in her mind that if he had been mortal, the alcohol in his system would have killed him five times over. Her king was broken. 

"Don't... you can't touch me!" Hades balked from the five pink hands coming at him. "I'm... I'm a married man!" He let his head fall back, trying to bring the nymph into focus. "And... only _she_ calls me Aidoneus." She was pink, like Persephone. _Why do they have to be pink? Couldn't they be red or icy blue white?_ "Go.... home. This pla...pla... kingdom isn't fer anything bu- hmmmm death n decay." 

"On your feet, King of the Dead. You need a shower." The nymph was crying, he thought, but Hades couldn't see her face. It was blurry, and her voice was muffled by the ringing of alcohol in his ears. _Probably because she was sent by Persephone to make sure I wasn't drinking myself stupid. Flower Nymphs don't come here without a job._ Her fingers were on his arm, tugging him upwards. 

"Jus... you can just leave me here." Hades pulled away from her grip, flailing behind his head for the bottle of gin he'd yanked down. "Oh... drank it. Hey, hey!" He reached for the nymph's hand. "C'mere..c'mere." _Her hands are so small, so soft. Mmmm she smells like Persephone. Persephone... my Queen. She's gone. She's gone._ "There's a mini bar behind... hmmmm the tapestry of the Queen. Fetch me the pomegranate rum from inside." _It's not like Persephone will ever finish it._

"Why don't you show me which one that is." She tugged his hands, and Hades reluctantly staggered upright. The room was rocking, like the deck of a ship, as they stumbled to it. He lifted it up, trying to blink the bottles into focus. "Hades, um... everything is empty." The nymph sounded utterly broken, her voice stuck in her throat. 

"Hey...shhh don't... don't cry. Listen. I'm...I'm... I'd never hurt you. Didn't Persephone tell-"

"I am Persephone." The voice was so small, so broken, it barely pierced the bells and waves in Hades' head. "Aidoneus, look at-"

"Impossible. She's gone. She's gone forever. Demeter... Demeter took her from me. She said... to think... but. She's gone. She didn't come home. Her phone was found near Hera's garden." He staggered away, trying to make the dark walls focus. _More drinks. One more, maybe, and my heart won't feel so crushed._. "She said 'I need to think' right." Hades oofed as he collided with the door frame. If there had been one instead of four, he wouldn't have. "What's there to think about? Stay with me or save the mortals. I know which I would pick." 

"Hades, look at me!" Again, she was grabbing his arm. "I am right here, and you are going to take a shower. You smell like You spent a night partying with Zeus." 

"I do not!" He jerked away from the nymph. "And stop pretending to be Persephone! I can't exactly see your face, but she does not have four heads!" 

"You are so wasted." The nymph wasn't letting go of his waist, and she was stronger than he'd anticipated. "Shower, now, or I will carry you in there wrapped in vines!"

"You dare threaten me-" Hades staggered forward, as the blurry nymph. "I'm a-"

"Drunk crazy talker." She sighed. Hades blinked as he found himself in his bedroom. 

"Hey! How'd you know.... was it her flowers? See her flowers? Hmmmm my queen can make anything!" Pride welled within him as he breathed in the aroma of Persephone's decor. "They'll wilt... without her here. That's what's happening up top. Without her, the mortal realm wilts."

"I'm... oh for the love of Gaia." Hades oofed as he was shoved backward to the bed. He fell onto it, bracing himself upright. Suddenly the nymph was attacking his buttons!

"I'm married!" He protested, trying to brush her hands away. She wasn't easily dissuaded. "Stop that! Stop!"

"Thought you said the Queen was gone." The nymph teased, and Hades felt her words suck the air from his lungs. "If she's gone what does it matter." 

"Because I'm still her husband! I'd never..." Her fingers stilled. There was no more pink, but somewhere water was running. _or is that my ears. Oooo the minibar behind the cypress Tapestry!_

"Shower off, Your Majesty. I'm going to get you water. You're cut off." Hades registered the woman growing red, thorny vines over the tapestry. _Fuck. How'd she know?_ the room was empty.

"Persephone must have sent her." He sighed to himself, fumbling his shirt open. The world went blank for a moment, but there was icy water cascading on his skin and shampoo running into his eyes and lips. He rinsed it off, and then, somehow, he was sitting on the bed in a towel. 

"Drink." The nymph was back, only now she had two heads, and her white dress was missing. So much skin, so many curves, and she was so short. 

"Why are you naked? I told... nugh!" Hades choked as she tipped the glass to his lips. He swallowed reflexively, and his thirst got the better of him. He took the glass, chugging it. "More!" He gasped, snd he was relieved when he was presented another. "Persephone told you to come-"

"Sweet Gaia, Aidoneus! I'm Persephone! I'm Kore!" She was quite strong as she shook his shoulders. Stronger than any nymph should be, that was for sure. 

"No... she left. Demeter will keep her forever now." Hades stared down at the glass, feeling the pain begin anew. He made to throw it, but the nymph plucked it from his hand. "Demeter will never let'er leave. She 'cused me of kidnapping, but... she blackmailed my wife into leaving. She'll lock'erup. Persephone told me, tha's what Demi did when she was younger... locked'er up in a green house." 

"You'll see... come on, lay down." Soft, rose scented fingers pushed him back. "Let's take a nap. Okay?" 

"No... no... more drinks." Her fingers stroked his brow, so softly, so gently. "Want more... need more drinks. I can feel... don't wanna feel." Tears stung his eyes, as the sheet was pulled over him. _Why can't anyone let me drown in misery in peace?_ The world was blurry again, and Hades felt himself pulled from the brink of unconsciousness. Something pink and damp and warm and naked was curling up under his blankets, turning him into a little spoon."i told you, lil nymph! I'm-" 

Lips silenced his with a brush softer than a butterfly. It tasted of Persephone's face wash and salty tears. A curtain of pink hair covered his face. "Just rest, my King. I'll hold you together." He was too heavy to move, to do more than protest, when she wrapped him up from behind and found his fingers to squeeze. The world went dark again, and this time, it didn't let him go.


	61. Chapter 61

Hades groaned at the throbbing in his skull. There was a noise, a damn marching band, echoing around his room. He reached for Persephone, to see if she could get whoever was making the racket to shut up. Cool sheets met his fingers, and with a stab to his heart he remembered the reason why that hurt. 

Persephone was gone.  
He'd cleared out a good portion of his liquor.  
He'd smoked every cigar and cigarette in his house.  
Some nymph had put him to bed.  
Some nymph had....

Hades opened one eye, again finding the pillow that had been his wife's empty. "Fuck it! Fuck it all." He yanked his pillow over his head and tried to block out the noise. Then, something warm and soft was stroking his back. Fingers, gentle fingers, traced his spine. _Great. She's still here_

"I told you I'm married!" Hades ripped the pillow off his head, jerking up enough to fix the intruder with a glower, and his headache blinded him with stars. _Hangover.... oh damn... at least I'm not vomiting_

"Mmmm, so you did. Multiple times. Do you have any idea how happy that made me." Persephone's voice was soft giggle, a whispered dream, and Hades' vision cleared. 

"K-k-kore?" Headache be damned, Hades rolled over and made to grab for her. She evaded him with another giggle, holding up a bottle of nectar in one hand and some pills in another. "You! It was you!" He took the items blindly, drowning in the vision of her clad in nothing but one of his unbuttoned shirts. "Am I dreaming?" 

"No, now drink!" Hades wasted no time tossing the pills into his mouth and chugging the nectar. As soon as it was gone, he set the bottle aside and hauled her down into his lap. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She whispered, and Hades buried his face in her hair. "I was with Mama-"

"I can't believe Demeter let you go." He inhaled the tranquility of her scent, feeling his shattered heart piecing back together. _My queen is here._ Persephone was stiff in his arms, and her breath hitched. Hades pulled back, finding pain in her expression. "Kore! What is it?"

"I was with Mama Rhea." Hades felt the flaming iceberg building in his gut again. "I was sorta transferring everywhere, and she.. well she said I was giving Nyx a headache. I dozed off crying on her shoulder." 

"For eight... nevermind. Time passes differently there." Hades didn't need to ask why she was gazing at him like he was on his death bed. "You came back to tell me goodbye." 

Persephone looked down at her hands, as tears began to roll along her cheek, tiny diamonds in the soft light. "I've never asked you for anything but love." Her voice was timid, and Hades couldn't help himself. He cupped her cheeks, feeling her pain override his. "If I asked you, now, would you run away with me." 

Her words hit him like a blow from Zeus' bolts. "Run away, as in abandon our kingdom and leave Greece?" His queen nodded, teeth trapping her bottom lip, more tears spilling over onto his thumbs. "Hera once told Zeus, before we married, that I loved you so much I'd sell my throne to make you happy." There was no question, no doubt at all. Persephone was his soulmate. "She was right. I'd rather be a pauper in a strange land with you than the richest monarch without you." 

"We need to meet with Mama and Zeus." There was a resolve in her that Hades knew well, she hadn't worn it since her battle with Apollo, but he knew it. His Queen was going to war. "I have a plan." 

"Whatever it is. I'm with you." Hades sighed as his wife shifted so she was straddling his waist, her nude body soft snd warm against his. The headache was fading, as was the nausea, thanks to her morning greeting. Persephone's lips on his were helping, but it was obvious she was trying to divert her plan talk into something else. Hades grabbed her waist to still her.

"I need to not think for a little bit." Persephone sighed, as their tongues met softly. "Make my mind go silent. Make love to me, please." She whimpered, but to her dismay, Hades broke away and sighed. "Aidoneus..."

"Persephone, I..." his hands were large and warm on her waist, but his body wasn't responsive in the usual way. Persephone froze, trying to make sense of his expression.

"You... you're not in the mood," she slipped from his lap to kneel on the sheets beside him. "I'm so sorry! I didn't even think" Hades cut her off with a soft peck to her lips.

"Little Goddess, I've got a horrible hangover. I thought I lost you forever, and now you're asking me to run away." His voice was strained, and Persephone hated that she had caused it. _If my plan works, I may not see him for months. If it fails, we may be on the lam. I want to make love to him._ "This needs a conversation first." Persephone nodded, meeting his eyes. Hades laid back down and patted his lap, which was covered only with the sheet. The blanket he was holding up for her to slip under and wear like a cloak. "What's this plan?"

"You won't like it." Persephone had no doubt he wouldn't, but it had fully formed in her mind as she lay there listening to him mumble her name in his drunken dreams. Hades's eyebrow arched, although he stroked her thighs as she straddled his hips. "I want to agree to return to Mama." She watched as Hades' entire demeanor began to crumble. "But with conditions. A.. a compromise if you will."

"I'm listening." Hades' second breakdown seemed halted, so Persephone relaxed a bit. 

"So, what if I spend spring with Mama?" Persephone wanted to look away, but he had _that_ expression, and she found it impossible to do anything besides focus on the scarlet irises. "Just spring! I mean, It's only three months. You can always come see me." 

"And if she doesn't agree?" 

"We leave. She can't unleash her rage if we move to another pantheon." Persephone glanced at her cellphone, which she'd found in his study,wondering if he was going to be angry at her next confession. "I called Freyja, Isis, and Dagda this morning. They said they would be more than happy to give us sanctuary. I don't think Ra is too keen on it though."

"You honestly think running would stop Demeter from plunging Greece into famine?" Hades voice wasn't patronizing, but it wasn't humoring either. Persephone wriggled under the intensity of his gaze. "She's-"

"It's a last resort. Either she accepts my compromise or she kills everyone and then haz to deal with being haunted by their souls for eternity."

"Zeus would command us to remain."

"He can't command those who no longer belong to his pantheon." Persephone had given it heavy thought as her husband had laid passed out beside her. "If we resign from the pantheon, he has no power."

"This is true, but, a last resort." Hades' expression said it all. He didn't want to leave. Neither did Persephone. She had made herself a life, found her place in the chaos of their society. "Three months, Kore. Three months without you in my arms."

"Three months is better than innocent child-"

"Yes. I know." Hades released her waist to drag his hands down his face. "I'll call-"

"I'll do it." Persephone shifted off of his lap to grab her phone. She dialed the number for her brother in law, realizing belatedly he would probably be getting dressed for work. 

"Ahoy ahoy, and what could the most pain in my ass goddess want at six thirty in the morning." Persephone cringed at the irritation in his voice. There was the sound of somebody being sick in the background, and Zeus called directly into the phone. "Hera, Bunny, do you need me to get you something?" 

"Crackers please!"

"Coming up!" Zeus called again, and Persephone winced. Exasperated, she put him on speaker. "Now what do you want?"

"Hades and I need to meet with you and Mama. We've... we've made a decision." There was silence from him and the sound of texting came through. "We want to talk to you, Hera, Poseidon, and Amphitrite alone first."

"Be at my office in an hour." The call cut off. Persephone looked up at Hades.

"Guess we better get dressed." Hades sighed. He hated this. He hated how everyone was making Persephone choose to split her heart in two. He wanted to reach for her, but his Queen was already heading into the closet. The set of her shoulders said that her intimate mood from earlier was gone. He wouldn't press it either. 

"What if they make me leave today." The words came with hesitancy that Hades hated, the one that said she was doubting herself. Persephone had worked so hard to be strong and independent and free, but as she stared up at her clothes, he could see the sheltered girl returning. "I'm not ready to be without you."

"This is your call. I'm not asking you to do this. I'm not asking you to do anything." Hades turned her by her shoulders, cupping her face. His heart was already breaking again, but the tears in her eyes made him hide it. He'd already had his break down, and it was his turn to be strong. "I am not going to ask you to choose. I've told you before, my love, I want you to do what makes you happy." 

"Choosing doesn't make me happy. You and Mama getting along would." Three fat tears leaked down her face, and Hades pulled her to him. "I don't wanna run either, not really. It just isn't fair."

"We walk into this meeting together, and whatever decision you make, I accept." Hades kissed her hair. He knew that there was every possibility that it could mean Demeter winning. Yet, he couldn't ask Persephone to choose him. She couldn't force her to. Everyone was asking so much of her, and he was the only one giving her the freedom to choose her fate. 

"Thank you." She stepped away, wiping her cheeks. "I don't know what to wear." 

"Pick me a suit and I'll find something." Hades rubbed her back as he stepped to her side of the closet. "About running, I don't think it'll come to that. A threat of resignation should be enough to get Zeus to agree to your plan." His fingers found a dress with the tag still on it and smiled. He'd ordered it on a whim, after seeing a new designer on Fatesbook post a sketch. 

It was designed to look almost like a peplos, but came up over one shoulder. The fabric was a stunning ombre of black, gray, and white, and it would cling to her torso before falling in perfect pleats to her feet. It was traditional looking enough to hopefully appease Demeter, but modern and regal enough to remind all present Persephone was his Queen. 

"Zeus, yes, but what about Mama?"

"He wouldn't want to, but he could always order her into submission." Hades crinkled his nose at the thought. For all of Zeus' flaws, he rarely exerted his authority to such strengths. He didn't want to be compared to their father. "So why speak with him before hand?" 

"Because, if he agrees with the proposal, then he won't go pressuring anybody into anything mid negotiations." Persephone was pulling down a suit, and he smiled when he saw it was one with pink threads and a matching pocket square. "Oh, Hades, that dress is amazing." 

Silence fell between them as they exchanged clothes and separated to dress. Normally, their morning dressing routine was full of kisses and giggles and playfulness or heated closet love making. Hades decided he never wanted another morning together that was so strained. It was snowing petals, as he followed Persephone out to her vanity, all reds and blacks and silvers. 

"Say something, Sweetness. Talk to me." He'd spent a whole day thinking he'd never hear her voice again, and now she was too quiet. "If you're having second thoughts-"

"I'm not!" Persephone's voice was strained as she began trying to braid her hair. Hades brushed her hands aside to take her comb and begin making near sections. "Mmmm I love when you do my hair." For a moment, the look of utter adoration reflecting back at him made him forget why they were dressing so formally. This wasn't a work day. 

"You always retreat if we're going into this together, you have to talk to me." Hades was right, Persephone knew. She began putting on her sparse makeup. "Kore, love, together doesn't work if only one person is plotting."

"Would Zeus ever use his influence over Hera?" Persephone had to know. It had been bugging her for days. Hera's demeanor had been slowly and slowly changing since she'd made it publicly known that she announced she was pregnant. It was one of the reasons she wanted to see the third couple too. "Like, the way you could after the pomegranates." 

"Yes, I've seen him." Hades' expression in the mirror was annoyed, but Persephone didn't see worry. "Usually he does it when she loses control on one of his lovers or she has too much to drink and gets loud with him in public." Persephone tried not to let the soothing sensation of him curling her braids into a design she couldn't see distract her, even as she applied her lip stick. "Why?"

"Hera's been acting... different. I'm worried." Persephone knew it was important, that it somehow fit with her dreams, with her instinct to keep it secret that they had broken Hades' control. She just had forty five minutes to figure out how. "Something changes today, Hades. I don't know how, but things are changing and I'm going to do it."


	62. Chapter 62

Persephone smoothed her skirt as she and Hades approached Thetis' desk in Zeus' sprawling executive level. "Sephie!" She oofed as Poseidon grabbed her in a swirling hug and kissed her forehead. "I'm so glad you're safe! Hades was worried-"

"Honey, she can't breathe!" Amphitrite tsked, from where she was accepting a light cheek kiss and hug from Hades. Persephone kissed Poseidon's cheek as he set her back down. "Thetis is Zeus-"

"Conference room with Hera." Thetis pointed to a door. Persephone could see the hesitation in her eyes when they locked gazes. Though the white skinned woman didn't seem to be intimidated by the other three, Persephone found she averted her eyes and resumed her typing swiftly. _That's right. You should be afraid of someone's wife._

"Are you ready?" Hades' voice was soft as they followed the couple to the door. Persephone nodded, though each step was leadened down with a feeling of dread. _What if this goes wrong? What if we do have to leave? What if Zeus refuses to side with us?_

The door opened when Poseidon turned the handle, and she took in site before her. Hera was seated, palm on her belly, scowling up at Zeus who was bent over her, palm flat on the table, hair crackling. "I will _not_ have you exacting wrath while carrying my daughter! Do you want another Eris!?"

"Eris is my favorite though." Poseidon cut in, and the pair whipped their heads to look. It took all of Persephone's will power not to whip him with a vine, especially when she saw Hera wiping her eyes swiftly. 

"Ah, I see the drama queen has arrived." Zeus snorted, and Hades had to keep from back handing him at the way he was eying Persephone. There was obvious annoyance, but under that was a greedy leer that lingered a few breaths too long on the swell of Persephone's breasts. "Done driving my brother back into alcholism-"

"Shove it, Asshole!" Hades snapped, pulling out a chair directly beside Hera for Persephone to sit, while Amphitrite and Poseidon took the left side of the table. "We came to offer a solution to this bullshit, not that you actually care what happens so long as you get your tributes come harvest!" 

Hades sat so that he was on Persephone's right, ensuring the room could see that today the power rested in her. Zeus settled into his high backed chair at the head of the table, and Hera was whispering something to Persephone that made the high King clear his throat. Hades only caught. "Angry... mind tone... flatter him." 

"So what exactly are you-"

"I'd like to propose a compromise, one that should please all parties involved, regardless of how their ego has been poked." Persephone cut Zeus off, and Hades squeezed her hand in warning. This was not how to get them on their side, starting off with rudeness. 

"Did I give you leave to speak yet?" Zeus' tone was sharp, slicing the air like a bolt of lightning. Hades flinched reflexively, as its boom echoed, sounding all too like Father's. Hades may have inherited his appearance, but Zeus had inherited his voice, and Poseidon had luckily escaped getting anything. "You have done _nothing_ but cause trouble since you arrived on my damn mountain!" 

Persephone bristled, mouth opening to speak, but Hades pulled her back. The last thing he needed was her and Zeus coming to blows. _Let him tantrum_ He tried to tell his queen with his eyes. He knew his brother, knew that if he could bitch and moan, the irritation would lessen dramatically. Persephone snapped her jaw shut, but the anger in her eyes didn't dissipate. 

"First, You come here and you get yourself drugged and thrown into the middle of a gossip rag scandal." Persephone clenched her fist in her dress, and Hades growled a warning at his brother. "Then, THEN, you almost get ripped to shreds in Tartarus." 

"Zeus, that's-" 

"Shut up Poseidon!" Zeus snapped.

"Then, you get yourself raped and beaten into a bloody mess, and go missing for a week which triggers an all out panic." Hades hadn't seen Zeus look so irritated since Hera murdered his first demigod child and its mother. He squeezed Persephone's arm, warning her not to let him goad her into an argument. They needed to let him piss himself out. "Now you banish your mother from my brother's realm, and she is going to kill all of Greece if you don't go home! Why, the flying fuck, should I give two shits about any compromise you want!?" Purple palms slammed onto the table, and Zeus was leaning across it to glower at the pink Queen.

"Because." Hades knew it was pointless to stop her when Persephone didn't even flinch. His queen folded her fingers together and rested them on the table. All the while her face was as serene and stoic as if this was a judgement day. "I'm willing to let you say it was entirely your idea. You take the entirety of the credit." 

Hades felt like his lungs had been squashed. He hadn't expected Persephone to throw out something so impossible for Zeus to refuse. The man had an ego that even Narcissus couldn't rival. "You think you've got a solution that I can't top." There was no denying the challenge in his sneer, and Hades realized that Zeus had already been considering yielding to Demeter's demands. His stomach curdled at the though. 

"Because, i know what Mama values, and I know that you can't risk your brothers rising up against you." Hades snapped his eyes over to Poseidon, only then realizing why Persephone had asked for them as well. If it had been them and Zeus and Hera, then it was a he said she said situation. Poseidon and Amphitrite created a nonbias third part, with more authority than others, who could back either side up in the event of escalation. "After all, isn't maintaining an air of unity and reputations being ruined the reason you didn't dismiss Apollo from his rank as an Olympian?" 

Persephone watched as Zeus snorted and sank back into his chair, nose curled up in a sneer. "Let me here this supposed compromise. I'll decide if it's sufficient enough to attach my authority to." 

She wanted to look back, to take Hades' hand, to do something to get the weight of that purple sneer off of her body. Persephone hated it every time she found a similarity between father and son, and she had to force her eyes to stay locked with Zeus'. "I am offering to live with my mother every Spring, and only for Spring. During which time I will obey every rule and regulation of her estate. At the end of Spring, I will be escorted back to the Underworld by a god or goddess of her choosing." 

The room was silent. Persephone could nearly hear the five other hearts beating. If she held her breath, she may even hear the heart of the unborn princess inside of Hera beat. "Persephone, you're agreeing to three months of essential imprisonment." Amphitrite's voice was soft, pained, and Persephone knew if she looked her sister would be staring at her in disbelief. "Demeter would treat you like a child on house arrest-"

"Better me treated as a child than have to judge millions of children's souls because of her." Persephone responded. She was impressed by how stable she sounded. Inside, though, she felt like she was drowning. It was unfair that the only person who had have truly treated her as her own individual, who let her make decisions as she saw fit, who loved her unconditionally, was the one person that she had to sacrifice to appease everyone else. 

"You're on board with this, big brother?" Zeus' chortle of condescension made Persephone want to claw his face off. It struck her, when Hera's hand touched her knee under the table, that the High Queen was as silent as Hades. Normally, Hera was first to chime in. 

"I support whatever decision my wife makes." Hades' voice was strained and thick. Persephone had to swallow, as she covered Hera's hand and squeezed softly. "I refuse to make her choose between me and innocent lives. That's yours and Demeter's jobs." She wanted to turn, to climb in his arms and kiss him. Hades was obviously hurting over this, but he was putting her need first. 

_I wish I could just go home with him. I don't want to have to choose. I don't feel in control at all. I don't feel safe._ She hadn't even admitted that to herself until that moment. Persephone didn't feel safe with Zeus or her Mother. She felt cornered, trapped, forced to choose a noose or an executioner's axe. _One word. One word and Hades will take you out of this room Kore._ The reassuring voice of her Immortal Queenliness murmured to the twenty year old on the brink of a panic attack. Hera squeezed her hand tighter. 

"Spring you'll spend in the mortal realm with your mother, abiding her rules, doing as she sees fit." Persephone couldn't believe Zeus was agreeing. The exhalations around the room were audible, and Hera's face finally broke into a smile. "Then, you'll spend summer, on Olympus, in our palace, as my secondary assistant. Summer is when we have the most ambassadors from other Pantheons. It saves me having to hire one." 

"Summer... on Olympus... in your home." Persephone felt her victory deflating. Three months of Zeus, could she so that? Worse, three months of Apollo's most obvious presence, would she be able to stomach that? "That would only leave me autumn with Hades! That's-"

"Six whole months! I'd let him visit during the summer." The way Zeus said let made Persephone squirm inside. The other two kings began protesting, with Amphitrite chiming in calling Zeus a slew of names Hades would lose his mind over Persephone using. Hera, was still, oddly silent. There was anger on her face, and she was grinding her teeth so hard Persephone could hear her over the din. The golden hand not clinging to hers was gripping her throne like chair so hard her knuckles were bruising. 

"Did he order you to keep your opinions to yourself during this?" Persephone whispered, hiding her voice beneath Zeus' thunderous retorts at his brothers' accusations. 

"Yes." Hera breathed, so silently that Persephone nearly missed it. "He did."

"I accept!" Persephone shot to her feet, pushing Hades back and holding her palm up to silence Poseidon and Amphitrite. "I accept on one condition."

"And what condition could you possibly think you could weasel out of me." Zeus looked furious. Persephone hadn't seen him look that livid. "You have nothing to leverage out of me. You're lucky I'm even consi-"

"Release Hera from your bidding." Persephone placed her hand on her new sister's shoulder. "Relinquish your ability to order her abound against her will. She's the goddess of marriage, and yet you treat her like a slave any time she wants to express herself for being mistreated by you!" 

"Nobody can relinquish that power." Zeus snorted, and the room was once again silent. Victory flashed in his eyes, the clear purple of lightning bolts. The air smelled of ozone and summer storms. "If they could, don't you think Poseidon would have-"

"Persephone, I command you to strip naked and throw yourself in Zeus' arms." Hades order came out with authority so powerful Persephone felt her hands moving to her straps before the nullifying power stopped her. 

"Fuck you. That was totally uncalled for!" Persephone whipped her head to glower at him. She momentarily forgot about the other occupants of the room when her husband gave her _that_. Zeus clearing his throat and Hera growling under her breath drew her back. She didn't miss how her brother-in-law's eyes were glued to her curves. "I'd rather throw myself in Tartarus." 

She watched as realization dawned on everyone's face. Zeus was staring at Hades, who was smirking up at her. "How? How does it work!" Poseidon sounded thrilled. "Do you know how exhausting it's been having to ensure everything thing I say in an argument with my wife is a damn request."

"Simply say. 'I command you to not follow any orders or commands I give you or have given, after this command, unless you wish to follow them.'" Persephone threw out the key to freedom, watching as Poseidon cupped his wife's cheeks. 

"I command you to not follow any orders or commands I give you, after this command, unless you wish to follow them." The green god beamed as Amphitrite shuddered and covered his hands with her own. "I command you to strip naked." Hera made a squeaking sound ad Amphitrite playfully slapped Poseidon on the cheek. 

"No way. Nope! Not gonna do it."

"This is a trick!" Zeus' indignation was palpable, as Persephone turned to him again. She had backed him into a corner, and he knew it. Once it got out that two of the kings had managed to bypass the ancient laws, everyone would question him. 

"It's really not." Persephone shrugged, settling back into her chair. Now that the power in the room was back in her grasp, she took Hades' hand in hers a squeezed. "I will agree to your terms as long as you agree to release Hera. I mean, you know she won't divorce you." 

Persephone held Zeus' gaze, doing her damnedest to keep from smirking. Hera was vibrating beside her, summer sky eyes wide and cautious. Her purple husband looked just shy of murder. He could agree to her compromise, and prove to all present that he preferred Hera as a servant or utilize his own plan and prove that his love for his wife meant more that his power over her. 

"Hera, I command you to not follow any orders or commands I give you or have given you, after this command, unless you wish to follow them." The air shuddered like the distant shock of thunder, and Hera audibly gasped. 

"You are a sadistic bastard!" The sentence was obviously meant to be a shout, but it left Hera's tongue in a pained hiss. "Persephone should not have to spend any time away from Hades if she doesn't want to! Order Demeter to stand down!" 

"I can't! You know people will call me the new Tyrant! I have to have negotiations!" Zeus slapped his palms down again. "It has been settled. Persephone will half the year reigning in the Underworld, three months bringing spring to the mortals and appeasing Demeter, and then three months as my assistant."

"And what are we going to do if Demeter refuses to accept the terms?"

"That's a good fucking question!" The sound of her mother's voice made Persephone turn to the door. In Zeus' anger, nobody had heard it open or seen The purple and green goddess elbow Thetis away from her.


	63. Chapter 63

Persephone froze at the look of fury on her mother's face. "You call me for a meeting, but apparently have a premeeting about it without me?!" Demeter's eyes flashed, and the scent of hot wind over barley filled the room. "Some kings your three are, Bartering with my daughter's life without consulting me!" The rage she threw ar Poseidon and Hades snapped Persephone from the child like fear of her mother's reprimand.

"Actually, Mama, I called the premeeting. I am choosing to barter my life, and surprisingly, the only people who want to override my desires are you and this purple haired prick!" She surged to her feet, holding up a hand to stop Hades who had slid his chair back. "I don't _want_ to leave my husband! Hades absolutely support whatever decision I make, but you, you, you want to keep me locked away forever!" 

"Both of you, sit down and shut up!" Zeus' voice boomed out, making the windows shake. Persephone flinched at the cacophony, as did everyone except Hera. The golden queen simply rubbed the ear closest to him and hissed her disapproval. "That is an order!" Persephone felt herself flop down into her chair, hard, and very much against her will. The movement made it roll back, and suddenly her husband was on his feet, coming around the table. A blue hand wrapped around a purple throat, just as she saw her mother grab at her green throat and collapse stiffly into her own chair.

"You have never, ever, used your command over Amphitrite." Hades was barely keeping the primal side of himself in check. He'd remained relatively quiet, letting Persephone hold her own. Seeing Zeus render her helpless, forcing her down against her will, silencing her authority, after the way he'd been leering at her and belittling her snapped him. "Release her right now, or so help me Gaia I will tear your head off!" 

"I revoke my last command to Persephone!" Zeus' voice was strained, and the fear was evident. High king he may be, but everyone knew that Hades was older and stronger. 

"And Demeter!"

"And Demeter!" 

Both women immediately began shouting. Hades couldn't comprehend the words, because his mind was full of nightmare images that weren't his to dread or imagine but he couldn't help but torment himself with. Perfect pink skin, flawless, unmarred, and untouched, pressed into lighter pink sheets, by purple hands. This time, though, the golden eyes were purest violet. Hades saw red and midnight blue and stars as he imagined what horrible reasons his brother would have for wanting Persephone as his assistant could be. He wanted to taste ichor.

"Aidoneus." The softest of whispers cut through the ocean of rage, and a butterfly's wing brushed his fingers around the throat. "My king, come back to me." He was powerless against the siren call. "Release him." 

"Kore, He's planning something to do to you. I know-"

"He won't touch me. I'd castrate him if he tried." Warm satin touched his cheek, and only then did Hades feel the world suck itself back into focus. His wife's kiss dissipated the blood lust, and Hades wrenched his hand back as he realized Zeus' face had turned nearly black from being choked, and his blows to Hades' sides had become weak. He hadn't felt a single one. Zeus choked snd coughed, and Hades let Persephone pull him back. 

It struck him then how the room looked, as other sounds were regained. Hera was against the wall, her hand over her stomach, blocked by Amphitrite, and had been screaming at them to stop. Poseidon had Demeter in a bear hug from behind, and now the grain goddess wasn't shouting obscenities at him or Zeus. What struck him was the look of horror on her face, and Hades caught a glimpse of his primal form in the window as Persephone's touch brushed it away. 

"Are you back with me, Aidoneus? There... there's my Hades." Persephone's smile was so warm and soft and inviting. "I'd rather not have my husband in jail for treason before we even have a proper honeymoon." There was a levity in her tone that made him smile as he sank to his knees to cup her face. "Why? He didn't hurt me?" Her question, while whispered, echoed in the breathless room. 

"He forced you into his will. All I could see was you, in your bed, but instead of Apollo-" Persephone covered his husband's mouth. She couldn't hear it. She didn't want to hear any more. 

"I'll forgive you this once, since I overstepped our agreement as brothers." Zeus finally croaked. Persephone shot him a scathing look before kissing her husband on the lips sweetly and stepping back to pull him up. She knew there was an unspoken rule that Zeus never flexed his authority over their realms, and she had already figured out that included wives. Hearing him admit his wrongdoing, however, was odd. _Perhaps he is slightly less toxic than his son._ "Let Demeter go, Poseidon."

Persephone glanced over, finding herself in shock. Her mother, who had vehemently raged against men and the moral corruption of the Olympian patriarchy, was wrapped in Poseidon's embrace. To anyone else, it would look like she was being restrained, but she knew her Mama. Demeter may have been struggling, but it wasn't the same rage. There was a near brokenness in her as the green king whispered fervently but inaudibly into her ear, his thumbs stroking her arms "I won't stand for it! They're both."

"Lunge for either of them, Mettie, and I won't be able to protect you." Poseidon's grip loosened, just as Persephone settled into her seat beside Hades. She watched as her mother fisted her hands and stepped from Poseidon's grip. "Trite, Hera. Are you both-"

"Fine." The queens chimed in unison, each returning to their kings. 

"Now, ahem, Demeter, how much did you overhear?" Persephone took Hades hand in hers, as an irrational fear that he would disappear gripped her. His thumb ghosted her knuckles, and she wanted to much just to climb into his lap and let him take her home. "Well?" Zeus' throat was still an angry black-violet color, and it pleased Persephone to no end. There was murder in his eyes though, and it was focused on her. 

"Just that Persephone will be spending three months as your assistant." Demeter growled, and Persephone resisted the urge to balk at the consuming rage in her controlled tone. "Anyone with half a brain would know what that implies!"

"Demeter, now is not the time to make accusations like that." Hera's voice was firm and full of warning. "Zeus' fertility sway is useless against a destined Queen. So, unless Persephone decides to spit on my friendship and her husband's love, she'd never agree-"

"Destined queen! Ha!" Hades felt his stomach clench as Demeter tossed her head back to snort in derision. "My Persephone belongs with the living, not the dead. The only agreement is that she will return with me, now." 

"I've already made my decision, Demeter. Don't question my authority!" The air crackled dangerously, and Hades began trying to figure out how to get both Persephone and Hera out of striking distance. "I proposed it, Persephone bartered her conditions, and I yielded. Now, you must accept!" 

"I refuse!"

"Then we resign." Hades strangled on his own breath as Persephone produced a set of scrolls from inside her dress. He hadn't even known she'd had them. "I told Hades that if you and Zeus couldn't come to an agreement, Mama, that I wanted to leave the Pantheon."

"Kore-"

"My name is Persephone!" A red vine lashed down to smack the center of the meeting table and Hades reached back out to take her hand. The vines retracted slowly, and Hades tried not to react to Demeter's disgusted and disbelieving gaze. "If you want to continue to blatantly ignore my wishes, to blackmail the six of us into me yielding to you, and to threaten to murder innocent humans because you can't stand the thought of me with Hades, then, we'll leave the pantheon." 

"Aidones, brother, are you seriously going to leave us?" Zeus' voice was the rare shocked tone, and Hera looked devastated as they each held up the scrolls. 

"Of course, he wants to keep my daughter-"

"It was entirely Persephone's idea." Hades swallowed the distaste of the idea back, as he leaned forward to clutch his wife's hand in both of his. "I am letting her decide, since you and Demeter want to force her into decisions she doesn't want. I will never, ever, make her choose between people she loves. I'm her husband, not her master." 

"Yet you are her master! She ate the pomegranate." Demeter was seething again, and Hades couldn't help but chuckle. Of course the grain goddess had to miss that conversation. "This is all your doing to keep her away-"

"Demeter, give me a command to give Persephone. Any command. I need it to be something you know I would never have predicted, something Persephone would never do unless forced against her will." Hades held the purple gaze, as Demeter glowered. "I need to show you that your daughter is free to be whomever she wants to be." 

"Command her to pardon Apollo." Demeter's voice was haughty, as if she knew this would prove her point. Hades shrugged, turning to his Queen. 

"Persephone, I command you to go find Apollo and pardon him." 

"I'll pass. Don't think I'll ever feel like doing that." Demeter blinked in shock. "Hades and I found a way to overrule his command of me, Mama. He doesn't control me. In fact, none of the kings control their wives anymore." Persephone nodded to Hera who was chuckling under her breath. "That was my condition to agreeing to Zeus' terms. He had to free Hera the way Hades freed me."

"Hera?"

"It's true Demi. Persephone gave up three months of time with Hades to free me. Do you truly think Hades would have commanded her to do that?"

"I don't-"

"Mama. Zeus gave me an offer, and I accepted. Three months on Olympus during the summer and three months with you for spring. Then, the rest of the year with my husband ruling our kingdom." Persephone tried to keep her voice level and steady. "I'm offering to restore your access to my kingdom, and even visit you sometimes for lunch or dinner during the autumn months." 

"I don't accept. I can't accept you being married to Him. He's toxic! He's manipulative and-"

"He's the most respectful, loving, thoughtful man I've ever met. I won't leave him. I won't divorce him." Persephone raised Hades' hands to her lips and sighed. "So you either agree to the terms, or we resign and you can be without me forever." The thought made her want to vomit. She didn't want to leave her life behind, to run away. Yet, she'd rather be free and alone with Hades than captive in her mother's garden never to see her love again. 

"I need to think." 

"Zeus, I motion for a recess." She looked at her brother in law, who looked ready to protest until Hera made a gagging noise, covered her mouth, then bolted for the door. 

"Recess for one hour! Upon return, I accept Demeter to either agree to my proposal or present something we can all agree to!" Then he was dashing after Hera. 

"Sweetness, stay with Poseidon and Trite. I.... I think I have a plan." Hades' voice was a soft whisper, and he kissed her cheek. "Be right back." In a flicker, he had stepped from his chair to the ether. 

"Sephie, I'm gonna go grab Amphitrite some snacks from Zeus' office. You hungry?" Persephone stood as Poseidon addressed her. She came around the table to let him and his wife sandwich her safely between out of her mother's reach. 

"A bit. I couldn't stomach breakfast." She smiled at her mother. "Mama, do you want something?" She needed her to understand that the only person creating walls and barriers was her. 

"No, I need to think. Go... I'm sure the three of you will find more than snacks in Zeus' office-"

"Damn it Demeter! Just because we have you over for a threesome a few times a year does not mean We'll bang your daughter too!" Amphitrite snapped. Persephone choked on her spit at the announcement. She'd honestly had no clue. "I adore you, and everything you've done. You created an business empire and raised one of the smartest and fiercest women I've met. Accept that she's grown and happy!" Persephone didn't have time to react as Poseidon and Amphitrite hustled her out the door. _Mama wanted to force me into celibacy, but she is sleeping with Poseidon and Amphitrite!?_ The world was suddenly a lot less sensible.

Far below in the Underworld, Hades approached the cottage, slowly at first, then he began running. His Mama came out, her diadem shining, and he threw his arms around her with a sigh. “Mama, Mama. I need your help.” 

“Of course, Aidoneus, my little king.” He accepted her brow kiss, as she grew, grew, and grew in size until she towered over everything . As old as he was, and as much power as he had. Sometimes, Rhea knew when he needed to find the safety he’d known for only a few years. Flying up, he perched on her palms smiling up at her beautiful eyes. “Talk to Mama. Tell me what you and your little queen need.” 

“Demeter wants to take her, and Zeus… it’s…. I have a plan. I just need to know, are you ready for Zeus and Poseidon to know?” The secret had been there for so many centuries, and Hades hated the thought of losing her. Yet, if his plan worked, Demeter would be backed into a corner. If it failed, He didn't want to think of the repercussions. 

“I want to see my sons again. Even if it means I have to lose you three all over again.” His mama cradled him to her cheek, and Hades sighed. “And I want you to keep your sweet queen. I do so love her.” 

“Me too, Mama, me too.”


	64. Chapter 64

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for delay! I've been in a writing funk

Persephone fidgeted as Poseidon held her hand and led her into Zeus' office. She'd never really been one to look for shared attributes amongst the brothers, but Poseidon's strong grip was almost identical to Hades'. From the length and width of his fingers to the way he stroked his thumb over hers in a down, down, up, down manner before a soft squeeze. "I could have gone my entire life not knowing you two have sex with my mother."

"Technically just me." Persephone whipped her head to look at Amphitrite who was pulling a portrait of Hera and Zeus on their thrones away from the wall to expose a mini fridge. "Poseidon isn't allowed to do more than kiss or touch. Demeter prefers-"

"I don't wanna know!" Persephone yanked her hand away to cover her ears and make a face. Thankfully their intent seemed to be to distract her from her husband's sudden disappearance because they both grinned and shook their head. "I don't understand her. If she's doing this, then why is she so intent on me-"

"Because she's afraid she'll lose you." Poseidon shrugged, and Persephone hummed when Amphitrite handed her a glass of water and a bowl of fresh fruit with some cheese. "Oooo pears!" Persephone yanked the bowl back away before he could touch. "Greedy!" 

"Hmph." She confirmed, popping a slice in her mouth. Persephone didn't understand her mama, or why she was being so backwards. It made no sense. "I'm happy. Everyone knows it. Why won't she just ease off?"

"Because she hates Hades." Amphitrite sighed. "He would never have been her choice." Persephone noticed that she was shifting a bit uncomfortably, as if she knew something she didn't want to say. 

"What's the look?" Persephone rounded on her friend, who was casting Poseidon a look. "What?" 

"Well, um, Hera approached her when you turned fourteen about potential husbands. Her job, ya know." Persephone blinked in surprise. This was something she hadn't known at all. "I mean, you're a fertility goddess. You're part of the Dynasty. Hera wanted to make sure Zeus didn't get to you first." 

"It's true." Poseidon cut in, managing to snag a slice of pear. Persephone smacked at his hand. "Hera wanted Demeter to present you to Olympus at fourteen under her, but Demeter went to Hestia, and... well." 

Persephone swallowed hard finding her snack tasteless. Amphitrite got between them, shooing her husband away. "Honestly, her matches were really good. Hermes, Ares, or Hephaestus." The news made her pause mid chew, as aspects of her teen years came into focus. "Your mother was livid over Hera constantly trying to sneak the three of them to your birthday parties." 

"I remember." Persephone found herself pulled into a memory of her eighteenth birthday. "I remember Hephaestus came to one." 

_"Kore, Little Dove." Hera's face was bright and brilliant as she shooed away the train of nymphs Mama had apparently ordered to stay glued to her side. The Queen had been radiant when she and Mama had first arrived to the garden, but now she was absolutely glowing. No doubt, it was the champagne glass in her hand. "Have you met my Hephaestus?"_

_Kore looked past her, a bit stunned to find that the massive god, who was easily taller and broader than Zeus, had somehow managed to hide in his mother's shadow. "No, I mean. I've seen him from a distance when he delivers tools to Mama." She set her water down on the round table nearby, swallowing a bit as Hera pulled him forward. Mama didn't like her talking to men, especially after the Ares incident. Hephaestus towered above her, his heterochromatic gaze a bit nervous and uncertain._

_"He's a tad shy, but he made you a gift. Oh! Athena, Darling, I need to talk to you!" The golden queen was gone in a flash, and Persephone found herself blushing in the mountainous shadow of the blacksmith god. She didn't want to look at him fully, afraid she'd stare or embarrass herself. Everyone said he was ugly, deformed, though she'd only ever caught a glimpse of him burdened under bags of tools. What if she offended him?_

_"You're much smaller up close than I've glimpsed of you in the gardens." Kore gave a small meep when he did something so unpredicted, that she had to look at his face, but then she swiftly looked down before she could look fully. Hephaestus had dropped to his knee so they were on level. "I liked your spring this year. Um... I think it was yours. It was like lava poured colors all over, not... well." He made an odd noise, snd she felt her own cheeks flush. "Here!" He held out a box the size of his massive palms. "I made this-"_

_"You didn't have to." Kore took the wooden box from him, doing her best to not balk at the smell of sulfur and burnt metal on his hands she wouldn't stare at. "Mama said gifts-"_

_"It's tradition. I always make a goddess' first diadem when she comes of age." His voice was softer, almost raspy with embarrassment, so contradictory of his size. "I wasn't sure what to... I mean... your symbols are hard to read. They say you're spring, but when I went to forge the silver I also saw dea.." Kore barely noticed his self censor as she opened the lid and gasped. "Details of other things. I'm sure it's nothing."_

_"Hephaestus, it's stunning!" She nearly dropped the box at the stunning circlet of silver flowers inside. Though they were metal, they seemed to bloom and close with her breaths._

_"Let me." Kore could barely contain herself as he lifted the diadem and settled it onto her brow. His palms dwarfed her head, calloused and smelling of a forge, but, there was also the aroma of fennel. The grainy scent of that made her feel at ease in his presence._ How can hands so bulky make something so small and intricate? _She shivered a bit, finding his touch on her hair and skin was so gentle, and with that touch came the answer to her own question._

_She found herself meeting his eyes, her face flushing and throat burning at the gentleness. One was red orange, like almost Ares, except it covered the whole sclera. It was as if it was permanently stuck in his anger state. The other was blue, as radiant as Hera's. The red orange eye was set in a wide scar that ran from his hairline to his neck, and down to disappear into his shirt. It made his smile a bit lopsided, as if permanently stuck in a tight sneer. The other half of his smile was uncertain, shy, almost embarrassed._

_His skin was mottled, covered in forge burns where exposed, and his hair was cut short up to the top, where it was long and pulled back in a tight braid that had precious metal woven into it like ribbons. The ear on the same side as his scar was cut off at the top, but he wore a black , intricately knotted, metal prosthetic tip in its place. His golden skin was identical to Ares, but there were patches of silver on his neck and scalp. A healing burn on his left cheek was pale blue where the flesh had regrown but not faded. She felt her spine tingle in appreciation at his striking appearance. "You...." She found no words for the odd warmth in her chest or the sweat on her palms. "I..."_

_"Sorry. I know... I'm unsettling." If crestfallen had a picture, it was Hephaestus' face. "I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable-" He was standing, and Kore grabbed his sleeve._

_"You're not unsettling. Sorry, I just don't get to be close to many men." She shifted, feeling very much like a tiny blossom in his shadow. "Please don't go-"_

_"We shouldn't be alone anyways. Hestia will have my head." Hephaestus' smile was forced, and she watched as his cheeks flushed. "Plus, hanging out with the ugliest god isn't going to help your reputations." His touch was exceedingly gentle as he pried her fingers from his sleeve. "Happy Birthday, Kore!"_

_"I don't think you're ugly!" She called, though he was limping swiftly away. "I think you're one of the most strikingly beautiful men I've ever seen...." her honest words were lost in the booming laughter of Zeus' entourage near by._

"Olympus to Persephone." Masculine green fingers snapped in her face, yanking Persephone back to the present. _No wonder Mama was so upset with Hera when she saw me wearing the diadem._

"Sorry, just... my entire life Mama, Zeus, and Hera have been bickering over who got to decide my future?" The thought made her livid. Red tinted her vision, as she crossed her arms. "Like... my choices, my wants, were completely-"

"Hera honestly just wanted to make sure Zeus didn't-"

"Don't care! I don't care! I want my husband! I want to go home to my husband and my dogs, and I want everyone to stop-"

"Sephie." Poseidon's hands were broad and firm as he halted her warpath to the door. "You and Zeus agreed. He upheld his side. You can't leave now." 

Persephone heaved a sigh, though she jerked from his embrace. As if her rage had summoned him, Persephone found Zeus' office door flying open, and Hades was standing there looking conflicted. "I need a moment alone with my wife." 

Hades watched as his brother and sister in law pulled away from Persephone and scurried out. He wasted no time, seizing her by her waist, backing her into Zeus' desk, and lifting her up to sit. "You're going to hate me." He breathed, feeling guilt build inside of him even as he pressed his lips to hers. 

"Never." She groaned, her supple legs and luscious arms wrapping around him. "I love you too much." Her tongue danced with his, and Hades hummed when her heel dug into his ass, pressing him closer. "You're trembling." She whimpered, as he struggled to keep his body in check. "Where'd you go?"

"To see Mama." Hades wanted his wife. He wanted to have her then and there. If Demeter accepted and asked her to leave now, he wouldn't see her for- "fuck, Sweetness!" He grunted when her teeth grazed his lip. "I'm trying to tell you my plan." 

"I support it. Don't need to hear it. I trust you." The conviction in her breathless voice made Hades' chest swell. "This office doesn't lock does it?" He nearly snapped at the unbridled need in her voice. She was always insatiable, but to want it on Zeus' desk with their family just outside the door, in the middle of a negotiation over her freedom was not normal. 

"No, Little Goddess." Hades stepped back, breaking their embrace to cup her face. "Besides, I'd never degrade you by fucking you somewhere Zeus has violated his marriage." He brushed her cheeks with his fingers, seeing something new behind her eyes. It took a moment for him to realize it was heartbreak. "Kore, honey. talk to me." 

"They've been fighting over me since my first fucking period! Everything in my life... everything, has been the three of them trying to use me!" Her voice cracked as she shouted. "Zeus... wanting to get me under his control as a pawn to marry me off to someone he needs to bribe. Hera trying to get me Mama to agree to an arranged marriage to one of her sons!" 

He caught her flailing hands, cradling them to his lips tenderly. It was easy to see that she was learning more and more about the games of Olympus, and why he chose to stay isolated. "I had no idea." 

"You're the only one who cares what I want, and I'm bartering my life with you in an attempt to appease them." Tears were bursting over now. 

"I'm going to petition Zeus to have your mother arrested if she doesn't agree to the terms." Hades blurted out, watching as she scrambled to make sense of his news. "I spoke with Mama. She is willing to take Demeter's place and do summer and harvest"

"  
But if Zeus finds out!

"Its a risk she's willing to take."

"Zeus is back. He said if everyone is ready we can continue." Poseidon's eyes were barley visible around the door. "Ya'll good." 

"Coming." Hades helped his wife down and took her hand. Then, together we made their way to the conference room. Demeter hadn't moved that he could, but she looked murderous. 

Once everyone was settled, Zeus turned to Demeter. "I proposed to Persephone that she would spend half the year with Hades and the other half split between olympus and the mortal realm. she agreed with a condition. I met the conditions Demeter, how do you-"

"No. I don't accept anything except Hades divorcing my child and freeing her." Persephone was wiping her cheeks beside him, and Hades rubbed her back softly. It was now or never, and he hated the way this had come. He hated how it wojld rip his family apart. 

"I motion to have Demeter arrested for threats to the mortals and Olympus." Hades didn't stand. He just let his voice carry. "Persephone and I don't want to leave, and it is the only way we-"

"Who will grow the harvest! Who will do everything Persephone can't?" Demeter snorted, derision heavy in her tone. Hades met Zeus' eyes as His brother opened his mouth. 

"Mama has agreed, that where Persephone cannot work, she will." The room went silent, before Zeus erupted into laughter. 

"Mama? As in our Mama? She's been in Tartarus for centuries. She has to be mad by now. Is that where you went?" 

"Mama has been ruling Elysium. I made it for her." Poseidon made a strangled noise and Zeus looked furious. Demeter, on the other hand, was paling dramatically. "That's where I went. She wants to do this, if we need her to." 

"You have been letting a titan roam the Underworld."

"You know Damn well Mama was never a threat! So drop that!" Hades pointed at his brother, but he did not stand. Persephone was staring at her mother, as if trying to read her mind. "Now, how will this go? Will you force my wife's mother into submission by command, will you arrest her, or will she take the deal." 

"You trap me, Aidoneus! You took my daughter and now you trap me!" Demeter's victorious fury was gone, left only with broken pain. 

"It hurts, doesn't it Mama? Having your choices taken? Having people coerce you and back you into a decision that makes you unhappy and uncomfortable." Hades blinked as Persephone spoke. Her voice was low, cold, snd almost emotionless. "For all of you. Up until Hades, nobody bothered to ask what I wanted in life. You." She pointed at Zeus. "Wanted to take marry me off to one of your favorites for a bribe. You." She whipped her head to Hera. "Were so determine to marry me off to keep him away, that you missed who I was destined for, and you." Her finger landed on Demeter. "You, Mama, left me so ignorant and lied to about everything that I didn't know I had an option." 

Persephone snorted, confusing Hades. "Suddenly Hephaestus seems like a perfect son in law doesn't he Mama." Demeter's face flushed forest green as her jaw clenched. "So, what's it gonna be?" 

"We have a titan on the loose!" Zeus bellowed, and Hades ignored him. 

"Rhea's been loose for centuries. Who do you think taught Mama how to conceive me. She just wants to see her sons, Zeus." Hades snapped his jaw shut as Persephone stood, slamming her hand on the table, her diadem pulsing in light. "Be pissed about that later. I want this done with. I have about fifty projects to finish back in the Underworld, I'm due for my birth control shot in two hours, and I'm fucking hungry!" 

"Demeter?" Hera's voice finally broke the silence. "Don't take imprisonment. Please, just-"

"I accept, but I want her returned to me immediately. She's got two more weeks of spring left." Demeter shot to her feet, and Hades winced. 

"I can't leave now, Mother. I can't abandon my projects. We can start this summer-" Demeter was gone before Persephone could finish, and Hades took his wife's hand. "I'm not leaving until summer. I'm not. I have too much right now." 

"Agreed. You report to Olympus on the summer solstices." Zeus snarled. "Now! About Mother!" Hades drew a breath and stood. This was going to be one hell of a family reunion.


	65. Chapter 65

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've been swamped in other areas! I haven't forgotten my lovelies! Enjoy some peace!

"Are you sure we can spare the time for this?" Persephone sighed as the car clid along the empty freeway that connected the International Underworlds. Her anxiety was on high alert, although Artemis had assured her that she would take good care of the pups. Athena. Athena and Melika were covering her projects, with the help of some of Hera's gardeners in the parks. They'd been on the road for almost seven hours now. 

"Yes. I'm sure. Stop asking." Her husband chuckled sweetly, shifting his hand from the gear shift to squeeze her knee. "Besides, we're almost there." She wasn't sure what he could see that she couldn't, but she wasn't going to ask. The Underworlds Freeway was a blank expanse of nothing, lit only with traffic lights and the occasional sign signaling an exit to various parts of other pantheon's afterlives or up to their main societies. "This is our honeymoon. I want you to enjoy these next two weeks. After that you'll be prepping for Olympus." 

"But where are we going?" Persephone had no idea. Eros and Psyche had packed her bags, while Hera and Amphitrite had taken her to get a full body massage, scrub, wax, and trim. Artemis had been in charge of helping her refresh about seven of her various languages as well as recognizing what various meats meant in other languages. "Don't I get a hint?" 

"No." Hades flashed her that scoundrel smile, and she was tempted to make him pull over. It had been exactly four days since their counsel, and he'd sprung the honeymoon on her without warning. "It's a surprise." His neck was so powerfully inviting above the unbuttoned shirt, with just a hint of a shadow of a beard on his face. It was oddly casual for him to be in public, but the entire outfit was by some exclusive designer in Ireland. Persephone's current dress had come from Freya's private seamstress, a wedding gift from the Norse Queen. 

"Just a hint." Persephone tugged his sleeve with a pleading mewl, but no sooner had she done so, than Hades was signaling an exit that had appeared from nowhere. She yipped in excitement as he took the ramp up, curving around until he reached what looked like a border guard booth. The car glided to a smooth stop, and her husband lowered his useless sunglasses. 

"Good morning, Identification Papers or Passports 'nd Membership card please." A voice that resonated ancient magics and lethal authority echoed from the booth. Persephone gasped at the man who glided out of the booth. 

He was tall, with the fairest skin she'd ever seen. It almost seemed to glow in contrast to the eternal night. His eyes were the purest green she'd ever seen, like moss after a rainstorm, set over a proud nose and lips that looked like dew kissed roses. His hair hung to his waist, in an intricate pattern of braids and interwoven in those were fresh flowers, gold and silver charms, and ribbons with the same knotted designs as the braids. His uniform was pristine, as if woven from leaves and bark into sturdy but silken material. 

On one of his hips hung a long blade, curved elegantly in comparison to the Greek swords she knew sat in hers and Hades armory. Strapped to his other hip was a quiver, made of the most supple leather she'd ever seen, and across his back was strapped a bow that was just as graceful as his entire being. She barely registered Hades reaching past her to open the glove compartment and pull out passports and a thick card. 

"King Aidoneus Hades." The man's voice became silken, and his lips pulled up in a slick smile. The lilt of his accent made Persephone's heart skip, as the beckon of wild woods danced into her ears. "I recognized ye of course. Ev'n if it 'a been nigh a thousand years since you last visited Tir Na Nog." Those eyes locked onto hers, and Persephone found herself pressing into Hades' arm as a wave of pure nature energy collided with her skin.

"Meallán, how odd of you to be pulling border duty at the Gray Grace." There was a slight sneer in Hades' voice, but Persephone was too lost in the way vines were unfurling in this Meallán's hair. "Last I heard, you'd been made general." 

"Aye, but, I made the mistake of ensnaring the wrong mortal woman. Didn't know she was under Queen Oonagh's protection." Persephone felt the power of spring begin to hum in recognition at another being like her. She'd never encountered such power in nature in a man before. "I returned her to her family, dowry intact, but it cost me a century of rotating shifts here." 

"What a shame." Persephone felt her mind trying to warn her to look away, to break free of his gaze. His power was so alien, so intoxicating, that her body shoved the idea away. _What would one trip into the forest hurt?_ It didn't even occur to her there were no forests nearby. 

"This time, you bring a much more enchanting companion than that snarky yellow eyed witch." Persephone nuzzled her cheek against Hades' arm, as her cheeks flamed. The ethereal man opened her passport but didn't look. She felt her breath freeze in her throat when his smile widened and his finger stroked along the leather bound document as if in invitation. "Mmmm she smells of spring 'nd fertility 'nd death all woven in one. What a succulent quagmire of power. Your daughter?" Persephone giggled at the suggestion and leaned closer in to reach for her passport. 

"My wife, and if you don't stuff that faerie magic back in your fucking pores I'll rip your spleen through you godsdamned throat." Hades snarled so sharply that Persephone jerked. "She's barely over twenty, and if you don't stop trying to tempt her, I'll be explaining to Finvarra why he's short a soldier!" Meallán passed the items back, and the air in front of them shimmered. A massive, sunsoaked beach was suddenly before them, and as Hades sped through the border, Persephone felt her mind rock.

Suddenly, her stomach rolled, and she didn't even have time to speak because Hades had slammed the car into park on the side of the road, reached across her to throw open her door, unbuckled her seatbelt, and was scooping her hair away from her face before Persephone even felt the nausea in full effect. 

The world was unsteady and unclear for what felt like hours, as her stomach emptied itself of the road snacks she'd been nibbling on. Hades was touching as much of her bare skin as possible it seemed, and each stroke seemed to anchor her back to herself. The beckoning call of wildwoods and forest glades hummed away, and her heart settled into her chest again. 

"I am so sorry, Kore." It made no sense to Persephone that the radio dial showed it had been all of three minutes since the barrier closed behind them. "I had no idea a fae was on border duty, and I never imagined any of them would use their thrall over a visiting deity." _Fae? Faerie? I thought they were... smaller... with wings_ the thoughts spun in Persephone's mind. "I understand your reaction. The first time I met a group of fae women, Hecate had to knock me out to keep me from 'taking a short swim in a forest spring.'" His chuckle made her relax, as she accepted a bottle of water and a kerchief from her husband. 

"You're not mad that I went all..." she waved over her shoulder before taking a sip of the water. 

"Horny for the pretty faerie boy?" Hades shook his head and curved a finger along her brow. "Their thrall is hard to resist if you don't know what it is." Persephone leaned into her husband's touch. The smokey aroma of his essence settled her stomach and eased the guilt that had crept in. "We have no built in resistance to other deities' influences except the Romans. Even then, their power takes significant concentration to combat, just as ours does to them. You could easily turn your fertility powers on another deity them a writhing mass of desire if they don't expect it." His lips pressed into her brow, and she sighed. "I love you, Little Goddess. Now, close the door."

Hades waited patiently for Persephone to close her car door and buckle herself back in. Her color was returning to normal, and the explosion of blossoms in her hair was gone. He was using all of his will power to not turn and go back for the pompous prick. He'd be filing a formal complaint, though. "I love you too." He eased the car back onto the empty road, though it was empty of other traffic. The highway was invisible to mortals, as was their destination, but that didn't mean he might not actually run over a horse and cart or something.

"The water is soooo different." Hades beamed as Persephone gaped past him at the roaring Atlantic ocean. Though it was shared with many of the other pantheons, Triton's sprawling city was the most vibrant and advanced. So, the Counsel of the Waters had agreed to name it for Atlantis. "Smells different too!" He watched as she took another, more steady swallow of water, her face radiant under the morning sunlight. "Is that the Atlantic?" 

"It is." Up ahead, the divine magics shimmered, revealing the massive resort. He laughed out loud when Persephone squeaked in surprise and leaned forward. "Welcome to Gray Grace. The only interpantheon resort in Europe and the most exclusive in the world." 

"Exclusive." Persephone gave him a look, but Hades only shrugged. "It's exclusive in that you must have a direct invitation from a founding member to join, and two thirds of the founding members must approve your membership." She didn't look too impressed, so Hades reached over and squeezed her leg softly. "It's designed that way to keep out trouble maker deities and rowdy lesser immortals, as well as to keep the membership rules honored." 

"What rules..."

"It's an extensive list, but one of those rules means Zeus can only bring Hera here." Hades vividly remembered how livid his baby brother had been when he proposed the no mistresses rule. "There's no acts of wrath, no mortal forms allowed on the premises, no fighting, and other such typical neutral zones' regulations."

"Who owns it?" Persephone's eyes were dancing as the car approached the soaring building. His eyes, however, were on the chalet's scattered to the east and the west of the main building, one of which would have had it's symbol of Cerberus crossed by a bident replaced with a Cerberus holding flowers in each of his mouths. She'd picked it though he hadn't told her what for. 

"The divine royalty of Europe, Ireland, and Egypt. We rotate out management teams and guards to prevent one realm from having too much power." Hades hadn't even realized that the teams had shifted out before planning the trip. He wondered if the Dagda had gone for a full fae staff this year. If so, he'd have to keep a keen eye on Persephone. 

Nature deities and the fae reacted like flames and kerosene unless the god or goddess had centuries of control and stamina. Hades had seen it happen at a few parties. "So, I may get to meet other Pantheons?!" There was that spark of eager anticipation he'd been waiting for, and his nod sent his wife into a fit of giggles. "I wonder who is here? Is this like an off season? Did anyone tell you-" 

"I didn't tel anyone but the resort management we were coming." Hades barked out a laugh at his wife's exuberance as he parked the car in front of the valet. A female faerie, with her raven hair piled high on her head, stepped out from behind the valet booth. Her uniform was crisp, barely wrinkled by the belt of daggers and bottles on her waist. 

"King Hades." He didn't recognize her, but knew that the requirements for hotel staff was to memorize pictures snd names. It was part of the agreement. "This must be your new Queen, Persephone." He watched as the woman executed a respectfully prim bow to Persephone, who was handling this encounter well. The woman had opened Persephone's door to help her out. "I'll deliver the car to your Chalet." 

"I appreciate that, Caoimhe." He passed her his keys. 

"Thank-" Hades covered Persephone's mouth as the faerie woman shifted her gaze to the small pink goddess. 

"And an extra tip!" He pulled out a wad of international currency and pressed it into her hand. The woman was sliding into the car in a blink. "Never thank a one of the Good Folk, Kore. It's either a major offense to them or they'll count it as agreeing that you own them an unnamed favor. It depends on their mood, and they are exceedingly capricious by nature."

"Oh lovely." Persephone murmured as he slid his hand free. Breathing deeply at the fresh air thick with the flowers from the sprawling gardens that surrounded the pool and separated the chalets, he led her up to the doors. "This place is stunning!" Her gasp of wonder, as they stepped into the sprawling foyer of the resort's main building made him beam. He could feel her worry melting into that wide eyed innocent wonder he admired so deeply. Then she gave a slight waiver of unsteadiness. 

"Sweetness, why don't you head through those doors." He gestured to the massive wooden doors covered in swaths of nesrly transparent cloth. "There's an outdoor dining area that overlooks the pool and main garden. You need to eat something. I'll check us in and be right there." Hades noted she still looked a bit pale around her lips and eyes, much as she did when Ares and subsequently Zeus had used their powers over her. "Go on. Order whatever you like. I'm starving too." 

"Hurry!" Persephone didn't want to leave Hades' side in such an unfamiliar place, but he was right. She was suddenly ravenous along with her shakiness. Meallán's influence seemed to be fully gone, but she felt very much like she'd just been influenced by Zeus or Ares again. "Will I ever outgrow that." She sighed, opening the doors and finding her breath stolen once more. 

She found herself on a a miniature beach, complete with white concrete that rolled down into sand for a pool that put their own to shame. There were no less than five jacuzzis spotted around it, with huge rock formation waterfalls, a handful of diving ledges shaped as cliffs, and two twirling slides. On one side of the pool was a swim up bar where a river nymph looking man was working, except his skin wasn't the same as those found in Greece. 

A charming cafe looking area was on the other side of the pool, closest to her, with low sitting chairs under huge umbrellas, with glass tables that sparkled like diamonds. Surrounding the entire area, broken only by pristine paths were hedges and flower bushes in full bloom that soaked the air in their fragrance. Without thinking, she threw her energy out, reveling as it mixed with the others feeding the plants. An oddly familiar thread touched her tongue, permeated with spring but wilder, more aggressive. She knew she'd never felt it before, yet, it felt as natural to her as her own. "Strange." 

Persephone closed her eyes as she took a few steps forward, tossing her head back, reveling in the feel of the sun without fear. Then, she collided with someone, and her "ouch! Sorry!" Came out in such synchronization that her mind spun. Staggering back, she opened her eyes to find herself staring at... herself, except yellow gold, like Hera in all her glory. "Oh my stars!" She gasped at the same time as the other woman. A ringlet of flowers burst into life amongst the crown of braids that was a mirror image of Persephone's style. 

"You smell like spring!" The woman exclaimed exactly as Persephone did. "And death." Their eyes locked, and the giggle that sprung from the woman's lips was just as her own, only sharper, slightly more manic. 

"Hi, I'm Persephone." She held out her hand to her golden twin, and she beamed when the woman took her forearm in her grip. Mimicking her, they shook. "Greek Goddess of Spring, and Queen of the Underworld." She waited for the woman to balk, except she didn't. Instead, the golden woman choked slightly. 

"Oh, for Terra's sake. This is unreal." The golden woman broke their grips. "I'm Proserpina, Roman Goddess of Spring, and-"

"As of last night, Queen of our Underworld." A voice identical to Hades' but with an edge of war to it heralded a purple arm pulling Proserpina to his side. "Good Morning, Little Goddess. I didn't expect to find my bed empty when I came back from my jog." 

"I didn't expect to find my husband had abandoned my sheets so swiftly." Persephone followed the yellow hand up a broad, scarred, sweat coated chest, to stare into an identical version of her husband, except his skin was the color of dew dipped violets with irises as pink as her own skin. "Why kidnap me to claim me as your queen, if you wish to leave me alone and naked in a strange land?" 

"Because my day doesn't start right without a jog. I was coming back to wake you up with some cardio of your own." Those kunzite eyes turned on Persephone, as the golden queen burst into giggles, and she felt a flicker of the same arousal Hades had caused since day one to flare to life, except, behind it was a warning that this man had just been accused of kidnapping. "Greetings, pink Flower. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I've been exceedingly rude." A purple hand extended, taking Persephone's outstretched pink fingers and he bent to kiss her hand softly. "Pluto, Roman God of Wealth and King of the Underworld."


	66. Chapter 66

Hades did a double take as a familiar purple god strode through the main doors, workout towel dragging down his face, destination obviously the cafe. He grinned to himself, scooping up the chalet keys and Persephone's membership card, and tucked them into his pocket. "Perfect, and can you make sure that the appointments for our massages this afternoon are booked?" He turned to call to his friend, but he had already disappeared out the doors.

"Of course, your majesty." The obvious changeling behind the desk typed swiftly, before her swirling eyes met his. "All set, and congratulations again on your marriage. We don't often host two last minute honeymoons." 

"Two? Well, congratulations to them. Send a bottle of the best champagne you have to their suite." Hades brushed his hair back as he made his way out to the pool. The doors closed behind him just in time for him to see Pluto pressing a kiss to Persephone's knuckles. At his side was a petite, golden goddess with braided hair. She had a hand splayed across his scarred chest. 

"Pluto! I see you've met my... holy Gaia." Hades barely pulled Persephone under his arm when he truly looked at the goddess with Pluto. Her golden skin danced in the sun, and her liquid amber eyes were as breathtaking as his own bride's. It was quite possibly because the woman was the spitting image of his Queen. 

Persephone clung to his own arm, her body trembling slightly. "There you are! Hades, this is Proserpina, Roman Goddess of Spring, and-" 

"Queen of the Underworld." He hazarded the guess when Pluto lit up like like a flood light at the soft kiss the goddess pressed to his arm. 

"I see that tragic backstories, penchants for the finer things in life, a love for dogs, and a work ethic to put our brothers to shame aren't the only things we have in common." Pluto was practically melting under his new queen's touch, and Hades wondered briefly if he looked as completely besotted when Persephone touched him. Except, the Roman deities tendered to be a bit more aggressive, so it was a bit more obvious. "Apparently we have a thing for petite, curvy, and feisty goddesses of Spring." 

"Seems we do." Hades didn't miss the way Persephone was behaving. She was simultaneously attempting to catch Prosperina's eye while also obviously avoiding Pluto's gaze. "Sweetness, did you manage to order breakfast?" 

"No. I ran into Proserpina."

"Pina is fine."

"Sorry, Pina. Like literally we crashed into each other." Hades chuckled, but there was still something off. 

"You need to eat. Pluto, Pina, if you don't mind, Persephone needs to eat. She-" 

"Got a whammy from that asshole fae at the border?" Proserpina growled, her eyes flashing murderously blue. Hades felt his throat flame as it made him recall his own wife's primal form. "He got me too. Hopefully you weren't throwing up for three hours like I was." The golden goddess wiggled out from under her husbands arms and took Persephone by the hand. "Then again. I'd never met anyone with powers until then. Mater never let me leave her farm." 

"She's Cere's daughter?" Hades queried, as Persephone let her golden counterpart tug her over to a table. The Roman Queen seemed incapable of not babbling on. His purple counterpart nodded. "Persephone is Demeter's." They shared a long suffering look, before following their wives. Luckily, Persephone seemed to be relaxing, with Pluto out of her sight. "If Persephone seems uptight or abrupt to you, don't take offense. She has had frequent... issues... with purple gods." 

"Hopefully she'll come around. My Proserpina needs some good friends. She's spent the entirety of her life surrounded by nymphs and dryads." Pluto looked disgusted at such a thought, and Hades couldn't blame him. He'd abhorred how Demeter had kept Persephone practically imprisoned on her estate. Hades dropped into his chair only to beam when Persephone abandoned hers to perch in his lap and rest her head on his shoulder. He blinked when he found Proserpina had been doing the same. 

"So how did you two meet." Hades barely glanced at the menu his wife had snatched up to scour. 

"He kidnapped her apparently." She snorted, an edge to her voice. 

"Pluto, you didn't claim her! How archaic can you be?!" Hades rolled his eyes before skewering his friend with a chastising glower. 

"I didn't exactly put up a fight. I'd been admiring him for weeks, what with his trips to the Vesuvius." Persephone didn't understand how Prosperpina could be so nonchalant. "Mater would have had my head if she'd known I was wondering off the estate without my nymphs." There was a lull as the waitress appeared. Persephone didn't know whether to giggle when she and the golden queen both ordered oatmeal with honey and pomegranates, until the other Queen also added a side of bacon. 

"Needless to say, I saw Proserpina admiring me, but she always fled when I got too close. I didn't need to make so many trips. I just wanted to try to find out who she was." Pluto was smirking broadly, almost like a wolf boasting to another about his captured meal. "Then, I finally got between her and the estate. I learned she was Ceres' mysterious daughter, who was supposed to be passed to Minerva and Diana as a neophyte to Vesta's viriginal order."

"I told him I didn't want to be a virginal goddess for eternity, but there was no way out." Proserpina shifted in her husband's lap, and Persephone wondered how Hades was barely flinching at this news. 

"I knew Ceres would never bless a marriage for her daughter, much less to me." Pluto pulled his wife's knuckles to his lips, and Persephone felt her chest swell in conflict. Was the other goddess simply acting?

"The next thing I know, I'm in his chariot being told that if I don't wish to be a Vestal virgin for eternity, then I'll be his queen." Prosperina was all giggles, reminding Persephone of how she had been after the first night she and Hades had made love. "Juno is in his mansion ten minutes later with Jupiter blessing our marriage, and then I'm being loaded into a car and brought here!" 

"And you're just okay with... being kidnapped." 

"Of course. It was the only logical solution. Isn't that how Hades took you?" 

"No." Persephone looked down at her hands. "We met at a party, and, well, things just snowballed." It was obvious that Proserpina was completely enamored with her husband. His method of wedding her was archaic, and it made Persephone shudder, but she wasn't in a position to tell the other goddess what to feel. 

"Zeus wanted me to claim you. I refused."  
Hades' voice was soft in her ear, beckoning her lips to turn. "Rome is... a bit harsher than we are accustomed to. Believe me, Pluto wouldn't have touched her without knowing she wanted him." 

"I still don't like it." She breathed, seeing the true newlyweds were too lost in a lingering kiss to overhear them. She was still undure about these feelings, the ones thst had been stirred by Meallán and then Pluto. She needed time alone with Hades to process them all. "Does this mean we'll be seeing them a lot while here." 

"No, I have our full vacation planned." Hades could see Persephone was still conflicted. "I thought we'd start with a nice post breakfast nap and then a massage. How doesn't that sound?" 

"Perfect." Persephone perked up as soon as her food arrived, and she slid to her empty chair. The scent of the breakfast had her empty stomach rumbling, snd the water presented in a chilled glass was Elysium. 

She eagerly dug in, barely paying attention to the discussions between the kings. She wasn't lost and confused as Proserpina seemed to be, but she just didn't want to hear them bantering over who's processor for their laptops was faster. 

"Take a business course at college." Persephone advised in a slight whisper to the golden queen. "If you want to understand how your husband runs his business, you need to go to college." The golden goddess' feisty exterior finally cracked to reveal a grateful, innocent, grin. 

"I will." It took Persephone a minute to realize that Proserpina's bowl was long empty, and she had been dancing her fingers along her husband's bare arms. "Your Majesty, don't you need to shower off before our trip to the market?" 

"No, I can just..." Persephone watched as the Roman king froze mid-sentence, eyes blowing wide, then his lips pulling into a grin. "Yes! Yes I do! Pleasure to meet you Persephone. I hope we can all have dinner soon." In a flash, Proserpina was being tossed over his shoulder, and she flashed them a broad smile as she was carried off. 

"Is that what we're like when we have dinner with Zeus and Hera or Eros and Psyche?" Hades snorted beside her. Persephone felt her cheeks flush. 

"Sometimes." Hades glanced down at his wife who was pushing a pomegranate seed around her empty bowl. "Sweetness, are you still feeling ill?" 

"Sorta, but... can we go to the room. I don't wanna talk about it in public." Hades slapped a tip down before scooping his queen into his arms. "How'd you know I wanted to be carried?" 

"Because you were chewing your lip." Hades could read her like a book, and it was obvious she was feeling uncomfortable. "Would you like to run a bath too, or should we just cuddle for a while?" He queried, carrying her down the path that led out to the beach facing gardens. 

"Cuddle." The further they got from the crowds, the more Persephone relaxed. He didn't even set her down to unlock and nudge open the door. It was only once they were inside the cool building that he paused to let her take in their vacation home. 

"Do you wanna look around?" 

"In a bit. Cuddle first." Hades took the stairs with ease, happy to find their luggage had been placed in the massive closet and not on the bed. "Naked cuddles please." He was not about to object, when he set his queen down and she began stripping out of her cute travel dress and sandals. He tossed his shirt aside. "First, i need my tooth brush." He immediately went to her bags, opening the pouch that would contain her toiletries. Persephone was making her way to the sprawling ensuite that overlooked the ocean. 

"Here, Kore." Hades passed her the toothbrush and tooth paste, before wetting his own. He welcomed her leaning into his embrace as they completed the ablutions. He didn't really need to, but knew she was probably bothered by the incident an hour and a half before. Soon, they were back by the bed. "Under the covers?" She nodded and he flipped the white blankets down to let her slide in, then, he made to pull her onto her 'throne' as she so affectionately called his lap when they naked cuddle talked. 

"No, like this." She burrowed into his embrace, hiding her face, and all at once her body began to tremble. "Please don't hate me!" She whispered, not lifting her head. 

"Goddess, never." Hades stroked her hair, trying to coax her face to his. "What is it? Persephone?"

"I got turned on when Pluto kissed my hand!" The confession came out with a sharp gasp. "And when Caoimhe touched me." Hades bit back a chuckle, as he kissed the top of her hair. "Eros warned me, that... that... I'm a fertility goddess. The more my powers grow, the more I feel... urges..." 

"Would you ever act on those urges?" Hades wriggled a hand between them enough to find her chin and nudge her face into view. She shook her head, eyes watery and full of shame. "Then I'm not worried. Kore, you don't think I wasn't aroused by Proserpina?" Her brows arched, and Hades had to chuckle. "As long as you don't give in, then you have nothing to be ashamed or afraid of." He didn't like the idea that other people made her feel that way, but marrying a fertility deity ran that risk. He'd known if from the day he'd fell in love with her. 

"So you aren't mad or upset?" 

"No, sweetness! You are allowed to find other people attractive, so long as I'm the only one you're acting on that attraction with. I'm not a jealous man." Persephone sighed in relief before cupping his cheek and pulling his lips to hers. "And so long as I'm the only one you're thinking about during sex." 

"Aidoneous!" Persephone gasped, then she giggled when he kissed her again, fully, deeply, his tongue languidly meeting hers. "Mmmm wait. Please." Instantly his fingers froze on her hips. "Don't just say things to calm me down. Do you mean it? You aren't angry that I sometimes-"

"Would you like me to be?" Hades voice was even, all hint of playful acceptance gone. "Do you want me to be upset, to be jealous?" She shook her head, blinking back the memories of those fresh feelings. "Persephone, I love you. I married you. I knew what marrying a fertility goddess meant. I knew and I know that your powers are going to want to explore." She wanted to look away, finding the earnestness of his gaze too revealing. "And I am always willing for you to redirect those urges and unleash your powers on me." 

Persephone shuddered when his nose brushed her neck. She should have known that he wouldn't be upset over her feelings, but years of having to hide them or be ashamed of them out of fear of judgement would take time to break. "I'd never cheat on your." She reassured him, as his lips began a smooth journey along her neck. "Mmm how long until out massage?"

"About three hours." His lips disappeared and Persephone found herself cradled into his chest. "You should nap. This has been a stressful morning for you." Hades' voice was gentle in her ear, as his fingers drew circles along her bare skin. "I'm sorry it has been. I honestly just wanted time for us away from stressors." 

"I'll be fine, mmmm but I can't nap if you're touching me like this." Persephone found it impossible to ignore the fire that had been lit in her belly at his touch. It was flaming between her thighs, and judging by the tough chuckle that tickled her ear he knew what he was doing. "Tease!" 

"Nap!" She squeaked when Hades suddenly rolled her like a pin, wrapping his arms around her and draping a leg over her thighs. "That's an order, Little Goddess." His commanding whisper in her ear made her shiver. He was rock hard against her rear, but she was so tightly wrapped in his embrace she couldn't wriggle back against him. "We have two weeks to christen every square inch of this house." 

Hades grinned into Persephone's hair at the way she shivered from his words. "Hades... did you ever bring any-"

"No.... not romantically. Athena once, and Hecate a few times for a quick weekend get away." Hades was exceedingly glad he'd never even thought of bringing Minthe or anyone else along. There was a sweet relief in knowing that Persephone would be the first and only woman he had in this bed. "This is for us only, now rest. I have quite the afternoon for us planned." 

Hades pressed his lips into his wife's hair, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. He knew he was winning when she whimpered out a yawn before going lax in his arms moments later. "I love you, sweetness." He sighed, closing his eyes. He hoped by the time she woke up, the effects of late night and early morning stress would be gone.


	67. Chapter 67

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been dealing with a lot emotionally. My muse seems to be returning! There will be a stand alone chapter for content requested in thr comments of the last chapter!!!!

Hades hummed as he looked down at the goddess sprawled out on the sand, her toes in the surf, pink skin glowing from the tropical scented oils he'd massaged into her skin an hour before. The skimpy bikini bottom was nestled snugly between her delectable looking asscheeks. The spaghetti thin straps of the top unhooked as her skin soaked up the sunrays. 

She'd shyly shown him the white and periwinkle blue bathing suit that barely rated as slightly more than a thong and nipple covers, as if expecting him to tell her to change. Hades hadn't been able to contain his desire for her _to_ wear it out. He _loved_ the confidence she had in her plump form, the way she had no qualms in exposing her body to the world, while asking him to please shed more of his clothes so she could appreciate how his body glistened in the waves. "I'd make love to you right here, if I didn't think the resort would be upset with the flawless beaches turning into a water front garden." He chuckled, dropping to his towel. The beach was empty anyways, barring a couple of elves half way down the shore playing some sort of game with a light ball. 

Persephone opened her eyes, Lifting her head, as her husband's chuckle made her grin. "Is that for me?" She purred, feeling lazily content. It had been ages since she'd felt comfortable enough to bask in the sun. Hades had informed her that the international areas fell on a shared sun schedule. This month's duty fell to Ra. The heat of the Egyptian god made the frosty looking drink in Hades' hand all the more inviting. 

"Possibly." His red eyes sparkled as he licked off a trail of the lime green ice that was sliding down rhe glass. Persephone felt her stomach clench in desire. They'd been on their honeymoon for three days now, and even thought she'd lost count around orgasm number seventy, she couldn't seem to be tired of his touch. "Depends on how quickly you get up here and find out." 

She scrambled up, not caring That her top was loose, to throw herself into his arms. Hades' laughed in that baritone thrum of pleased amusement when she seized her drink. His fingers were quick to work the clasp on her straps back closed with his now free hand. Persephone closed her lips on the straw, as his chilled fingers danced down her spine. His icy beer bottle brushed her cheek as he drank, raising goosebumps on her arms. An cascade of citrus, berries, nectar, and rum spread across her tongue, making her moan. "Gaia, this is delicious." 

"Mmmm thought you'd enjoy it." Hades squeezed her oil slicked rear with a grin. "Have I told you this is the best vacation of my life?" Persephone giggled, wriggling her hips against his lap, again completely enamored by how relaxed they both were. She hadn't felt this freel and unstressed since childhood. 

"Like five times, but tell me again Your Majesty." Persephone's voice was light, making Hades preen at how much his impromptu honeymoon was helping her. "So what else is on the agenda for today?" 

"Well, I thought snorkeling or diving, but apparently there's a storm moving in." He had heard the news while at the bar, and it had ruined his plans for taking her out on one of the boats. "I get that we're immortal, but storms at sea are not fun." It was exceedingly hard to focus on anything but the way her oiled skin gleamed even in the shade of the massive umbrella. 

"So was there a backup plan?" As if on cue, a low wave of thunder rumbled towards them from over the ocean. Persephone sighed, as she took another long sip from her drink. "I was ready to swim, honestly." 

"The resort itself has an indoor pool, with glass walls and ceilings. It acts just like a green house. It's behind the main tiki bar. "Hades' seemed to sense her disappointment, but honestly Persephone was fine with the change of plans. She'd be content to just lay in bed with him and watch a movie. "There's also a diving board and waterslides, and they open the wall that separates it from the covered outdoor dining, if we ask. That way we can safely 'swim' in the storm."

"We can head up that way if you want." She kissed his nose with a content sigh. Persephone was just enjoying how much the last few days had relaxed them both. They had an unspoken agreement not to touch any electronics until their day was completely done. Luckily, what few things they did have waiting on them were quickly remedied. Their PAs, Hecate, and Athena were handling things well it seemed. "We could soak in the indoor hot tub. My thighs are still a little sore." 

The muscles weren't really sore, but her skin was still over sensitized by the combination of ropes and leather and desperate palms that had contorted then, bound them, and smacked them well past midnight. Persephone was finding she truly enjoyed Hades love of rope play, or Shibari as he called it. Their honeymoon had provided much needed privacy and peace for him to work her into it. He had started off with just her wrists at home but last night they'd progressed to putting her flexibility to the test with legs as well. 

Hades glanced down at the marks on her legs, the ones he'd encouraged her to heal but she'd giggled about wanting to flaunt. The magenta bruises from his palm and belt were barely noticeable, and he wanted to cringe. He never left marks other than bites unless she pleaded for him to. So he knew Persephone was enjoying the dull ache and sensitivity, and that was all that he cared about. "We can do that. I can massage them again too." He lowered his beer free hand to gently rub the slight bruises. 

"Sounds wonderful." His minx of a wife gave a downward rock, making him grunt in surprise and pleasure as she slid from him to stand. "C'mon handsome. 'M a bit hungry too." 

Hades scrambled to his feet scooping up the towel. He left the umbrella untouched, as a staff member would be by to collect them. Persephone was scooping up her own towel, looking all too adorable as she sipped her drink and hummed a tune he didn't recognize. "I love you, you know." He offered, still in amazement that out of all the beings in the Pantheon, she had been his destiny. 

"I love you too." Persephone didn't think she'd _ever_ get tired of watching Hades' face burst into a radiant smile every time she told him that. Another peal of thunder made her look out over the ocean, and a slightly cooler breeze graced her skin with the smell of fresh water. The gray stripe on the horizon was growing thicker. "Sea storms move fast." She hummed. 

"They do." Persephone tossed her towrl over her shoulder, just as he did, and linked her drink free hand with his. "Sweetness." His voice sounded thoughtful, as they headed towards the raised, wood plank path.

"Hmm?" Hades glanced down at his wife, her sun kissed skin such a radiant pink. She was almost as bright as the night he'd first seen her at Zeus'. It ached his heart to realize how pale she'd become the few months in the Underworld. Also, he hadn't missed the way she raised her face up to the fresh rays every morning. 

"We have grow lights and such in your office and now the bedroom." She made another content noise, her eyes soft and pleased when the met his for a breath. "But they don't make you look as vibrant and happy as regular sunlight does." One perfect eyebrow curved up as her lips slipped off her straw. Hades couldn't let her speak yet. He didn't want her to cut him off or deny what he saw. "What if I design like a small room or closet or booth where the grow lights are more intense, Like a whole day or two worth of true sunlight in a short period. You could spend ten or twenty minutes in it once or twice a week, then let the grow lights...."

"Hades." Persephone wanted to insist it wasn't necessary, but there was no denying that the copious amounts of sunshine had done wonders for her emotionally and mentally. His creative smile was faltering. "You're an absolute genius and I love you." She pressed a kiss to his bicep. She was Goddess of Spring and that meant she would be healthiest and happiest in the sun. She had just doubted that she'd ever find that sensation again. 

"I'll commission it as soon as we're home. You won't need it on Olympus, so that gives me..." his voice trailed off, and Persephone knew where he mind was going. She had to live with Zeus and Hera for three months and none of them liked that at all. 

"You can still come see me. Do you honestly think your own brother would-"

"Maybe, to punish you." Hades sighed as the back side of the resort came into view the other guests were heading that way, to the cheaper rooms or out to their chalet's. The thought of Persephone, his _Queen_ being forced to work as an assistant for his brother infuriated him. He also knew that Zeus wouldn't be able to behave himself for long. 

"If he touches me, I'll turn his dick into a poppy." She growled, and Hades covered his sigh with a chuckle. "Let's not worry about that though. Let's go have lunch, enjoy the hot tub, and just celebrate us being us." 

"See, now you're the genius." Hades dropped his empty beer bottle and her empty glass off at the outdoor bar, confirming that the kitchen would remain open for indoor patrons. He froze for a moment when he saw the hottub was already occupied by one other couple. The purple and yellow skinned deities were whispering to each other with smiles. "Kore, love. Are you going to be comfortable-" 

"What? Oh." Persephone let her gaze travel to the bubbling, steaming pool. Pluto and Proserpina were laughing about something, but her yellow twin looked quite happy. _It's obvious they were destined for each other. It's obvious he loves her. They're just like us, only a tad more war happy._

She had been taught all about the Roman Pantheon, and how while their history was almost a carbon copy of Greece's, they were almost all more aggressive in almost all aspects. Pluto was like Hades, and she shouldn't judge him because he was purple. "Yes. Of course." Persephone grabbed her husband's hand and tugged him towards his friend. 

"Persephone!" Prosperina noticed them first, and Persephone offered a small wave as the yellow goddess bounced excitedly in the water. Only then did Persephone realize her bathing suit was as skimpy as her own. _Is that how I look?_ she wondered silently, trying not to gawk at the way the goddess' supple breasts strained against the material. She cast a glance at Hades who was busy dropping their sandy towel in a nearby linen basket. "Joining us?"

"Yes! There's a storm-" Another roll of thunder cut her off. "Well, yes." Persephone edged into the water, doing her best not to notice if Pluto was staring at her or not. When she settled onto a ledge, she was pleased to find he'd be entirely to consumed with his wife's neck to look up. "Where did my, oh." She spotted Hades talking to a waiter, who was scribbling away. 

"Pluto, stop." Prosperina giggled, shrugging her husband away, and Persephone sank a bit lower in the water when pink eyes settled on her. 

"You know, Juno is the exact same color as you, only she has the most piercing red eyes." Pluto offered from nowhere. "Which now, given how Jupiter is the same blue as Hades, makes so much sense." 

"Nothing about our nearly identical pantheons makes sense, Pluto." Hades eased into the water, slipping his arm around his wife. "Little Goddess, I ordered us some lunch and drinks. Yours is vegetarian ladagna. Was that okay?" Persephone smiled sweetly up at him as she nodded. Her nerves seemed to calm down at his presence, which made him relax.

"Perfect." Persephone's pixiecut hair became flecked with tiny white blossoms. "How're you enjoying the resort Pina?" Hades returned Pluto's welcoming nod before looking to the golden goddess. He had to swiftly avert his eyes when the familiar body shape automatically drew his gaze to where it would on his wife. Their taste in swimwear was similar too. He didn't miss Pluto's eyes drift from Persephone's face down then jerk back up again as his ear turned slightly more violet. 

"It's been a blast! Pluto took me snorkeling yesterday, and today we were going to go parasailing, but the storm ruined that." Hades realized that the only reason they would be doing that is if Prosperina couldn't fly yet. It wouldn't be surprising. Persephone was still mastering her own ability and stamina with it. "I really wanted to go into one of the local forests and-"

"See the natural plant life! Me too!" Like something had clicked, Hades watched Persephone begin to bounce excitedly and scoot closer to the other goddess. The pair of them were quickly dissolving into the different energies and life forces of the local plant life they had encountered, and speculations on what type of nymphs or dryads were living around them. 

"I believe we've lost our wives." Pluto laughed, as a waiter carried over a tray of drinks. Hades took his beer, as did Pluto, and the women accepted their respective frozen cocktails without breaking conversation. "Although, I'm not complaining. Pina needs to make friends." 

"As much like Persephone as she is, don't worry. She'll be making friends in PomegraNet Corps. In no time." He caught himself as Pluto arched an eyebrow. "Why the look? You think she's gonna want to be a kept wife?" There was no denying the Roman goddess had the same spirit as Persephone. "She'll be wanting to work, mark my words." He nodded to his own Queen, who had was swapping drinks with the other and describing their dogs' daily routine "She has an office right across from mine. Oh, and if she gets a bug up her ass and eats some pomegranates, just command her to never follow any of your commands she doesn't want to in the future." 

"Do I wanna know?" The purple god snorted mid drink of his beer. Pluto glanced over at the women, and then the god made a noise. Hades followed his gaze over to their wives. Proserpina was toying with a flower in Persephone's hair, as a crown of pink ones sprouted in here own. Hades recognized the look on the yellow goddess' face well, mostly because a more delayed mirror of the same expression was coming over Persephone's face. His swim trunks stirred, but he reigned himself in and turned to warn Pluto about Prosperina's potential for fertility powers.

Persephone hummed at the contagious excitement that came from Proserpina. She was just so open and easy to be around. She also smelled amazing, like all of her favorite flowers mixed with cloves and Hades' sweaters when she snagged them off the floor to go make them a snack. "So he has dogs too?" 

"Five! He said he wants more, but he works so much he hates having to leave them in doggy day care." Prosperina's fingers pulled away and swirled a Pomelia blossom in front of her. "It's kinda weird looking at you and seeing me but pink." 

"Just a bit, but... kind of, exciting." Persephone reached up and plucked a cherry blossom from the yellow pixie cut. Another waft of that scent hit her, and she became vaguely aware of Hades and Pluto discussing something about fertility powers. _Oh! Oh sugar snaps!_ She registered her own skin tingling as she was accidentally dosing the other goddess as well. "Pina, honey. We should probably cut back on these." She took her glass and set it aside. 

"Why, hmmm, you smell really good." 

"Yeah, um sorry. Fertility powers can be... intoxicating." Those golden eyes blew wide. "Feel a slight tingle in your throat, about here." She reached out to touch the glands under the other woman's jaw. Yellow cheeks tinged to almost bronze as she shrank back and cleared her throat. "Just, focus. You'll get used to controlling it. Trust me, he." She nodded to Pluto. "won't mind a bit." 

She had to hold her breath for a moment, clearing her thoughts as she tried to fight off the low tingle of arousal that the Roman goddess had caused. "Ladies." She looked over to find Hades pushing himself up at the same time as Pluto. "Lunch." Her husband flashed her a slick grin and pointed towards a nearby table. A loud clap of thunder shook the room, and Persephone realized the storm had bee raging outside the glass walls for a good ten minutes. 

"You guys should come over for a movie and drinks tonight!" Proserpina snagged Persephone's hand as they stood. "You can tell me more about Greece." 

"Hades?" She looked back to him, to gauge a reaction. She definitely wanted to get to know the other royals more, but would Hades had been specific about the honeymoon being for them. 

"Sounds like a plan to me, if Pluto doesn't mind." Hades turned to his counterpart, who was grinning ear to ear. _I wonder if that's how I look when Persephone gets that excited._

"Sounds good to me! We'll have lunch, then you two can come over at say, nine ish?" The two women high fived before falling into their chairs as the lunches were uncovered.


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay.
> 
> I have been dealing with a lot in my personal life, and writing has become a struggle for me. Finding the energy and inspiration to continue has been hard on me. However, disappointing my readers was harder. I'm trying to finish this fic out with the same strength I started. Bare with me. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and understanding. We're almost there

"Hades' phone." Persephone mumbled, as she pressed the too bright screen of his phone. She cracked one eye, wanting to be irritated at having to fumble across her sleeping king to hget his phone, but his face was so peaceful and soft that she couldn't. "'Lo?" She yawned, snuggling down into his side, smiling as his bare blue body only moved enough beneath the sheets to curl an arm around her. 

"Your Majesty. There's....there's a problem." Galina's strained voice made Persephone sit up. Hades slumbered on, lips twitching in a dreamy smile. "We've been trying to reach King Zeus or Poseidon all morning, but they're in some meeting." If something was beyond Hecate's scope of knowledge, the brothers had agreed to fill in. 

"Mmm, yeah, the annual Allied-Pantheon Summit Planning Committee." She rubbed her face, squinting through her slight hangover and endorphin crash at the clock on the dvr box. It was barely past sunrise at the resort. "Wassa matter?" Persephone slipped from the bed, not wanting to wake Hades. He and Pluto had drank quite a bit during their movie and card game 'night cap'. That had led to some messy, silly, but multiple orgasmic love making upon return to their own room. He earned lie in. 

"There's been a sudden influx of souls on the Beach." Persephone froze, mid reach for a robe. "It's gone on for three days. Lady Hecate went up to investigate the cause this morning. She is returning now, but she called..." she felt her heart begin to sink. "The crops, the fruits... everything under Demeter's power has wilted and decayed."

"Everything?" Persephone whispered, feeling her already pleasure weakened and sore knees begin to give out. 

"Everything, even that in the stomachs of the mortals and their livestock." Persephone hit the floor. "Food poisoning took many, and now...there is a blizzard." 

"What?!" Persephone's heart erupted in panic as she leaned against the wall. "How?! How is there a blizzard, Bore-"

"He said your mother offered him a deal. For every day you are away, he has free rein to do as he sees fit with her domains." Galina's voice was strained, and beyond her, Persephone could hear the other two assistants answering calls with frantic calm. "One moment." 

"She just faxed...." Melika was saying.

"Faxed? Seriously?" Galina snorted.

"Yes, faxed, here." There were papers rustling. 

"Holy Hera! This is insane."

"I know!"

"What is she saying?" Persephone wanted to scream, but she also didn't want to wake Hades. He so rarely got to sleep so deeply and so peacefully. "Galina!"

"Oh shit... she... this went out to everyone?" Galina sounded speechless

"It did." Melika's tone was deathly soft.

"Will someone tell me what is going on?!" Persephone hissed, eyeballing her husband who was still fast asleep. Her heart was racing, pounding, a terrified animal in her throat. 

"She says, "Attention Olympians and Underwordlings: Until my demands are met, or until I am taken into custody and commanded to comply, nothing shall grow in Greece. If anything does grow, it is because Zeus and Hades violated their oath to all gods and freed the Titaness, Rhea, from her chains. My demands are as follows." Persephone felt her heart catch in her throat, as her resolve began to waiver. She couldn't let innocent humans suffer for her. She just couldn't. "Persephone, goddess of spring, will return to my care. immediately. She will reside with me, taking charge of her divine duties, until the first day of fall. She will not reside for the three summer months on Olympus." 

Persephone felt her chest tighten, as she sucked in a breath. She waited, eyes glued on her slumbering husband, for the final hammer to crash on her heart. 

"On the first day of fall, she will be returned to the Underworld by a god or goddess of her choosing. Until my daughter is on my estate, and the terms are agreed, then my oath of destruction is sealed by my ichor. Signed, Demeter, Goddess of Grain, Second Eldest of the Traitor's Dynasty, Fifth of the Twelve Olympians." Galina's voice was strained. Persephone found her breath racing into her lungs. 

"She.... she's going to let me return?" Persephone nearly dropped the phone. "I'll.... contact the kings again. I need... Don't let Hecate lose her mind." Persephone ended the call, scrambling to the bed. Even as she hurled herself on the sheets. 

"Mmmm, Kore." Hades' pillow muffled slur of her name made Persephone's tears burst forth. At the sound, he tensed, and before she could even touch him, red irises appeared in the predawn light. "Sweetness what's, why are you?" She pressed a hand to his lips, not caring that her tears were causing snot to drip down. With her free hand, she pressed the contact she needed. 

"Persephone, what's the matter? Sweetness? Why are you crying!" Hades felt his heart pound as his Queen pressed the screen of his phone. For one horrifying moment, he wondered if he had failed to delete everything Minthe had ever sent him. Then a voice cut through the speaker. 

"I won't be talked down, Hades! Don't even-"

"Mama, it's me." Hades grunted at the look of utter hope and horror mingled on his wife's face. It confused him, and it scared him. "I just got your fax. My phone is dead. Do you mean it. I can come back to Hades?" 

"Kore, Demi... what-" He tried to interject, but Demeter's own sob cut him off. 

"Yes! I swear on my love for you, you can return to Hades." He couldn't help but slap his own cheek. It had to be a dream. There was no way it would have happened. The crack made Persephone jump, and as his cheek stung he wasted no time in pulling his queen onto his lap. 

"What changed your mind?" He queried, though he honestly didn't care. His second question was cut off as the Barley Goddess whispered. It was almost as if she was afraid to be overheard. 

"Hera followed Zeus three days ago, and found him talking on the phone." Hades felt Persephone freeze in his grasp. "She overheard him say something about punishing Kor... Persephone. Said it was revenge for making a fool of him." 

"He makes a fool of hims-"

Demeter cut Persephone off. "She didn't hear much about anything after that, but I know how Zeus is... I know what he'll do if we leave you alone with him." Hades felt his blood run cold. "Since he has no grounds to punish her publicly." 

"Then he'd want to find some way to humiliate me." Persephone's voice was strained as more tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I don't.... Hades, please, I don't want to have to serve him." 

Hades could think of a thousand ways his brother could punish Persephone. Each one would be entirely legal and do nothing more than humiliate her or torture her emotionally. Since she'd uncovered her primal form, Persephone's strength had never wavered. For the first time since she squared off with Apollo, he saw fear in her eyes. She may be queen, but Zeus' power triumphed over all. 

"You wish to agree to whatever these terms are, my Queen?" Hades had no idea what new terms had been laid out, but it didn't matter. Persephone's desires and needs would never be restricted by his words. 

"You haven't seen the-"

"Mama, he was sleeping. I spoke with my assistants." Persephone was gazing up at him, pain and anguish evident on her face. Yet, hope was there too, blooming tiny blossoms along her temples. "I do, Hades. I do, with some conditions Mama." 

"Anything, Little Bean. Anything so long as I know you're safe." 

"I am to be treated as an adult, as the Queen and goddess I am. No restrictions, no curfews, and no nymph escorts." Her authority was audible beneath the relief of the agreement. Hades was still utterly confused, but he trusted his wife. "My husband can see me once a week."

"Kore, men aren't-" 

"I'll keep him out of sight of the nymphs."

"Fine. Shit." Hades pressed his lips to Persephone's hair, shocked at Demeter's outburst. "Zeus is calling. Act oblivious. I'll handle the new terms." 

Hades blinked as the call dropped. Persephone tossed the phone aside before turning in his lap. "I'm sorry. I should have told you before I-" 

"Shhh no. I trust whatever you agree to." He couldn't deny that he was afraid she would walk away from him. Hades was so used to women using him and leaving. He fought against the thought, reminding himself that his Love had never asked for anything but his heart. 

Persephone couldn't stop the emotions bursting from her eyes in the form of tears. She explained her mother's demands to Hades, who never took his hands from their gentle rubs against her trembling arms. When she finished, his face was unreadable. "Are you angry with me." 

"No... Gaia, no, Little Goddess. I'm proud of you." She hiccuped at the look of adoration beaming from his eyes. "You found your limits. You asserted yourself, and you brokered a deal with someone who is notoriously stubborn." Hades lips were warm on her brow, and Persephone threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you. Whatever you want, that's what I do too." 

"I don't want to leave you, but if this is what it takes to keep the peace and maintain our dignity, I'll do it." Persephone inhaled her husband's scent, mingled with the floral aroma of her own. Even far away in a strange land, he made her feel at home. 

"May I propose a condition?" Persephone pulled back, gazing up into his soft eyes. His thumbs grazed her cheeks, wiping away what remained of her tears. "When you decide you're ready for children, and you get pregnant, I get unlimited visitation days with you and the little ones at Demeter's estate." 

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Their lips met, just as Hades phone rang. Persephone huffed, looking over at the screen to see it was Zeus calling. "Answer it." 

"Fine." Hades snatched up the phone, making his voice sound groggy. "If people don't stop bothering us on our-"

"Demeter's going batshit again." Zeus' voice was strained, and Poseidon could be heard in the background. 

"Just order it! The pantheon is ready to riot! We have other deities arriving in." 

"Demeter is demanding the full six months. This time, she's called my oath about the titans into light." Hades rolled his eyes. "Wale your wife up, now." 

"I'm awake. Is this why everyone has been blowing up our-"

"Silence. This is an edict. You both listen fucking well." Persephone braced herself, wondering if Zeus had modified the terms anymore than she had. "Persephone is to return to Demeter as soon as possible. She will  
Reside with her mother until the first day of fall, where a god or goddess of her choosing will escort her back to the underworld." 

"Are you fucking kidd-" Persephone couldn't believe how well Hades feigned his anger. She almost exhaled in relief, but she knew better than to underestimate the high king. 

"You are allowed to see her once a week, out of sight of the nymphs. Persephone will also be treated as a full fledge goddess and Queen, not a child." Zeus did not sound pleased at all. Persephone honestly didn't give a flying care about it. "When Persephone returns to the Underworld, Demeter will restrict her powers, allowing winter to come. She didn't explain, something about the dying plants actually making the soil more fertile when she resumed her powers last time." 

That caught Persephone off guard, but she didn't care. Zeus was giving in. "Also, Persephone's new task in addition to spring and queenly duties will be to teach the mortals how to store for winters." Poseidon shouted something incoherently in the background. "You both better be in my office by sunrise tomorrow, or so help me Gaia, I will have you both arrested for treason." The call dropped, and Hades' gaze shifted down. 

"Give me time. I'm sure I can talk mama into unlimited visits." Persephone's hope filled voice was too much for Hades to deny. The thought of being apart from her made his soul ache, but there was no going back now.


	69. Chapter 69

"I don't really wanna go" Persephone sighed, as Hermes disappeared with her sparse luggage. Their red friend had volunteered to take it for her to Demeter's estate. That way, Persephone could focus on Pomelia and Big John. 

The two dogs were currently sniffing the bushes outside of Zeus' office building. "I know, Sweetness, but I'll be stopping by on Friday." Hades rubbed her back softly, making her swallow hard. "It's almost sunrise. We better-"

"Yeah." Persephone took his empty hand, giving Pomelia's leash a soft jiggle as Hades' got Big John to come. They'd come to an agreement that every week, he'd bring one of the pack to switch out. Pomelia would stay with her the entire time. "Melika said Mama got with her about coordinating passage for her to be at the estate every other day."

"I know, Kore." Hades knew Persephone was rambling to calm herself. In a short moment, he wasn't going to see her again for a week. His stomach was roiling in uncertainty, although he had Zeus' and Demeter's oath. "Galina went with her to help set up your office."

"Technically I'm sharing with Mama. Her office is sprawling." Persephone's look of dismay as he released her hand on open the door was heartwrenching. He honestly wanted to just take her and run. "Um, Hecate said she'll set up my monthly open court meetings by web conference." 

"Yes, and Athena is going to make sure the university set up is exactly to your preferences." Persephone was unsettled by how quiet and dark the office building was. It was obvious nobody was working yet. "We're going to get through this." She pressed tightly into Hades' side as they approached the elevator that led up to Zeus' office. 

"I know, But..." She blew out her breath, trying to find the words to explain her pain and fears. She had agreed to this, yes, but the closer their departure got, the more she felt she was losing control. 

The ride up was silent, as not even Thetis had entered the building yet. Hades, like Poseidon, had passes that allowed them free access to Zeus' office building. They also had access to each other's as well. Poseidon had apparently dropped one to his and Amphitrite's building with Melika, so Persephone hadn't retrieved it yet. Somehow, she doubted Zeus would ever trust her with one to his. 

"Sunrise is in eleven minutes." Hades spoke, while Persephone stepped into the waiting area. The last time they'd been there, they'd been at her request. Now, it was to trade her off like a toxic custody agreement. The dogs leashes were dropped, as he took a knee to be eyelevel with her. It had been so long since he'd done that, and she felt her eyes burn. "Persephone, my Queen, if you want to run, I'd gladly-"

"I don't want to run, ever. I agreed to this. I must uphold my end." Hades did his best to keep his emotions in check, but it was difficult because Persephone had cupped his cheeks and was kissing him with the softest of desperation. 

He yielded to her request, curling his arms around her, keeping her close as their lips parted and came together. "Promise you'll call me every day?" Her whimper was shaky as she drew in another breath, nose grazing his. 

"I promise." Hades felt his heart stutter at the return of her soft lips. "And I'll send you gifts, so your room-hmmmm" Persephone had slipped her arms around him, pressing their bodies tighter together.

"I don't care about gifts. I just want you." Persephone watched as Hades searched her eyes. The separation was tearing at her, and she stole his lips again in an attempt to quell the pain. This time, there was no speaking, just the intensity of their disdain at being departed.

She was so lost in his embrace, so determined to savor the taste of his lips, that all else vanished except Hades. So, the sound of her mother clearing her throat made Persephone yelp and nearly bust her husband's lip. Persephone gasped for air, instinctively pressing closer to him, as she looked over. "Mama, hi."

"Demeter." Hades rose to his feet, trying to grab the leashes as the pups made a beeline for the green goddess. Persephone was already scooping Pomelia into her arms. "You're early, as usual." He tried his best to keep his disdain to himself. After all, Persephone still loved her mother, and he wanted his wife to be supported. 

"You're bringing the dogs?" A purple eyebrow arched, and Persephone nodded. Hades opened his mouth to protest, but Demeter cut him off. "I recently put a wall around the estate to prevent the new villagers from wandering in. So, they'll have freedom to run if you like." 

"Is that the real reason for the wall?" Hades felt his jaw clench, even as Persephone kept his hand from balling into a fist. "Or is it to keep her in!"

"I swore an oath to treat her as the Queen and woman she is, didn't I?" Hades couldn't help but spit out. He had thought he was okay with what Persephone had agreed too, but seeing Demeter, the cause of their pain, standing there like she didn't see why this was wrong, stirred his ire. 

"Aidoneus, please. Mama would never break an edict." Persephone touched her King's chest softly, doing her best to calm him. "Vesuvius, remember?" They'd concocted the plan before they'd left, making an impromptu stop at the Roman chalet's. 

In the event that Persephone didn't call or respond within forty-eight hours of a text, or if Demeter decided to break her blood oath, Hades would call Pluto. Their friend would then sneak onto the estate, as Demeter would never think to ward against him, and steal her and the pups away. 

"I remember." Hades sighed, his irritation receding, until the smell of ozone filled the air. "Zeus." He hissed, turning to face his younger brother. "We're here, as ordered."

"Good, the sooner we get this done the better." The purple king looked beyond irritated, as he pulled put a parchment envelope with a peacock blue seal. "This is for Persephone from Hera." She took it in her fingers, ready to open it. "It's not urgent, just about Eileithya."

"Who?" Demeter voiced the confusion before Persephone could. 

"Hera's and my unborn daughter." Zeus huffed. "She didn't explain. She probably wants you to midwife for her or something." 

"Shoot, the baby shower. I promised to plan-"

"Figure that out later." Hades had never seen Zeus look so irritated, not even when Hera had unleashed her wrath on one of his former lovers on his own birthday. "Let's get this over with." He spun on his heel, throwing open his office door. 

Hades kept Persephone close to his side, while also making sure that Demeter was slightly behind him as well. Zeus was ready to explode, and he wouldn't risk his wife nor his mother-in-law from being in the path of his anger. _Mother-in-law, ugh. I am never using that term again_ He shuddered mentally, trying not to let his errant thoughts show. 

"Normally, I would just go with my edict last night and supervise the first exchange, but Hera insisted I make a stipulation." Persephone felt her breath catch, as Zeus pulled out the parchment used for official decrees and his sealing kit. With a flick of a lighter, the candle under the wax melting spoon was lit. "She suggested that amendments be made to the visits to schedule, once the two of you decide to have kids." 

"What amend-"

"Silence, Demeter!" Persephone grabbed her mother's arm behind Hades' back at the thunderous growl. "Hades will be allowed unimpeded access to Persephone if or when she is pregnant as well as during the first few years of the children's lives." She sucked in a breath, sending a silent thanks to her sister-in-law for having that forethought. The violet king was penning them down as he spoke. "This includes the births themselves. These amendments to the edict are non-negotiable." 

The room was more silent than Tartarus as Zeus signed the edict in his own ichor, rolled the parchment, and poured the purple and gold swirled wax onto the seam. Then his seal was pressed in, binding them all with a shiver of his authority.

"About the goddess of my choosing to escort me back and forth." Persephone released her mother's arm and stepped forward. Zeus' sharp eyes held no terror over her anymore. His plans, whatever they were, had been foiled. "I choose Hecate. I think Mama and Hades will both agree she is the best decision, as she is friends with them both." 

"Agreed." She was surprised to hear Hades and Demeter speaking in synchronization. 

"Whatever, I honestly don't care who does it." Persephone narrowed her eyes at the high king, shocked even though she shouldn't be, that he was being so curt about her life. "I called you three here so I can witness the first exchange and confirm you're all committed. Let's go people!"

Hades looked down at his wife, who appeared simultaneously ready to murder his brother and break down in tears. "Six days, babygirl."

"I know." He passed her Big John's leash, and no sooner was it in her hand than she was tugging Hades down by his tie. He sighed softly at the flavor and softness. "I'll call you once I'm settled."

"Of course." Hades forced himself to step back, as Persephone turned to her mother. "I love you, Aidoneus." He swallowed hard, clenching his fists into his pants. 

"I love you too." Persephone finally moved to her mother's side. She looked up at the face that had once meant only love and safety. _How long until I can forgive her?_ she pondered. 

"Zeus, Hades." Demeter's voice was curt, and before Persephone could blink, she found herself in her mother's office. Pomelia and Big John gave yelps of surprise that matched her own. "Now that they're not here, we need to talk."


	70. Chapter 70

"What, Mama?" Persephone unhooked the dogs leashes, relieved to find the pressure of her phone in her pocket. "What could we possibly have to talk about." She followed her mother with trepidation over to the small tea area of their now joined offices. She didn't have time to admire anything of the new set up, because her mother retrieved a letter opener.

"I lied about what Hera said about Zeus." Persephone felt her blood begin to boil until her mama pressed the handle into her hand. "She should have put it in the letter, because she couldn't tell me over the phone." 

Persephone opened the letter she had stuffed in her pocket, shaking her head slightly. She didn't want to continue to be caught up in drama. _They've won. Why can't I have peace?_ she thought with an internal sigh. She slid the inside parchment out, unable to stop a smile at the comforting aroma of Hera's soft perfume. 

**_Persephone,_ **

**_Thank you so much for volunteering to plan my baby shower. I hope Demeter doesn't mind if we have it on her estate. It would just be the goddesses. We know it's a girl, obviously. I would love to have a white peacock theme! A little off for me, I know, considering how I prefer my blue feathered babies. Honestly, whatever you plan will be perfect._ **

**_I'll email over a budget as well authorization to charge whatever is necessary to the royal family account. Unless, of course, you find that a bit insulting. I just know you're still getting used to how extravagant our lifestyles are. I can't wait to tell you about my vision of my daughter. We'll be calling her Eileithya, as that is the name I dreamed._ **

**_In the vision she was purple, like Zeus, but with golden hair and eyes. I saw her fully grown, flickering images of her helping women give birth. It seems we are adding another midwife to the Pantheon. She'll be splendid. I just know, if he peaked at this letter, a certain king will have stopped reading by now._ **

**_Beware your visitations. Zeus is livid and exceedingly jealous. He hates how you have forced the rest of the Pantheon to publicly acknowledge his bias and favoritism multiple times. He is more angry about your punishment on Apollo than you can imagine. He has begun to loathe your relationship with Hades._ **

**_Nobody really paid mind to his infidelities and treatment of me, when Poseidon was the only other royal marriage to compare us to. He hates that you forced him to release me. He wants revenge, and I know how he plans to exact it._ **

**_I overheard him and Apollo talking, and he plans on tricking you into cheating on Hades. He is counting on your time apart to make you more susceptible to his shapeshifting. He's learned how to shift his scent, from what I overheard. He even tricked Hestia and Athena into thinking he was Apollo for a punishment shift. Yes, he fooled Athena._ **

**_When Hades comes to you, pose a question only he would know, be wary of telling him about this over the phone. I couldn't risk telling Demeter, you, or Hades everything. I have a new assistant, and I believe she may be a spy. I'll explain that later. If you choose to tell Hades, make sure he doesn't raise Tartarus. After all, I have no solid proof to present._ **

**_I look forward to hearing from you about the babyshower. I'll try to swing by with Amphitrite for our usual Wednesday brunches. I am so sorry about everything_ **

**_Your sister  
Hera_**

"Dear Gaia." Demeter rubbed her temples and Persephone felt her stomach drop to her toes. "I can't ward the entire estate against him. It's his kingdom!" 

"No, but my chambers are technically property of the Underworld now." Persephone was shocked at how quickly the idea came to her. "I can do with it as freely as I would my own kingdom. I could get a revelation spell from Hecate!" Hades had had one placed on the throne room after the first incident, as well as their home, in the even Mama had disguised herself and tried to take Persephone. "I could also, technically, put one on this room too." 

"And he can't ask why they're there, without admitting he tried to pass through them in a shifted disguise." Persephone had seen her mother look proud of her numerous times, but it wasn't pride she saw at that moment. Her mother was impressed. "Being Queen for that-" she fixed her mother with a lethal look,, and as she hoped Demeter didn't finish her insult. "Has made you paranoid." 

"Being around people like Zeus and Apollo have made me paranoid." Persephone tucked the letter away and held her mother's gaze. "Being queen has made me knowledgeable on how to thwart such threats." Now that they were alone, and the outside threats were identified, it was time to face the major issues. "You should remember, after all."

"You banished me, yes." Demeter's face was pained and irritated, as she stood to move over to area dedicated to tea and snacks. Refreshments were a staple of her office, as the usual occupants were usually friends or her assistants. "And I understand why you felt the need. You need to understand why I am so unhappy with your marriage to Hades." 

"Does it really matter now, Mama? I mean you got what you wanted." Persephone surged to her feet, clenching her fists as she walked to the window overlooking the vegetable gardens. Pomelia came bouncing over, and Persephone lifted her up. "I'm here, back with you. None of this, absolutely none of it, would have gone this far if you hadn't been so adamant about keeping me a naive child." 

"I just wanted to protect you! You haven't seen what Hades can be like, how he gets when he goes on a bender-"

"Actually, I have." Persephone whirled on her toes, refusing to let her mother see her cry. "The ground breaking day for the university. When you made your first attempt to blackmail me. He thought I left him, that I chose saving mortals." She could recall vividly the way her husband had looked, the tears staining his face, booze and nicotine practically distilling from his pores, as he tried to push her away. "He could barely even keep his eyes open, and do you know what he said as I tried to get him into the shower?" Demeter was stirring what smelled like chamomile tea. "He said 'You can't touch me. I'm married. Even if my wife is gone, we're still legally married.'" 

There was no hiding the surprise on Demeter's face. "He was so drunk he couldn't recognize me, but he definitely made sure that I knew he was faithful and loyal to me. Why can't you see, Mama? We love each other, real, true love!" 

"Oh yeah? How're your fertility powers holding up to monogamy?" Persephone felt her cheeks flush, and she swallowed hard as her mother settled into her desk chair. "Have you taken an ovulation test? Hmmm? Has the birth control started working less and less?" Ice poured into Persephone's veins, as she hugged her small princess tight to her chest. "You're on your second dose now, right? It took me about five months before the pills stopped working, snd then four and a half before the shot." 

Persephone swallowed hard, shaking her head lightly. She tried to mentally refute the words her mother was saying. "I'm sure the other ob/gyn told you the dosage was for fertility goddesses. Did they tell you it was myself, Hera, Aphrodite, and a lesser known goddess named. Aphaea who the medicines were tested on?" The news struck Persephone like a slap. She hadn't been aware at all. "Your body will begin to adjust, making your powers overcompensate for the natural reproductive system being suppressed."

"What do you mean?" She refused to sit, choosing to stand and hold herself proudly. "My fertility powers are just-"

"Finding it hard to resist other people yet? A simply hug from a friend suddenly makes your libido shoot up?" Persephone swallowed, recalling the emotions from the Gray Grace. "I'm sure even Hades is happy with your increasing sex drive, but the more the birthcontrol stops affecting you, the stronger that urge becomes." Her mother took a long sip, shaking her head. "Why do you think Aphrodite has so many children? Why do you think that Hera coincidentally gets knocked up when she starts feeling more forgiving of Zeus." 

"Because the medicine wears off and they-"

"Become careless. Hmmm, tell me. When you're having sex with Hades. You aren't quite satisfied unless he finishes inside of you, right?" Persephone felt her cheeks finally flush, and she looked away. She did not want to be talking to her mother about where Hades liked to come. "When the birth control starts being less and less effective, that urge will grow stronger. Right now, it's Hades' seed you crave. In a few months or years or maybe decades, you'll want-"

"No! I won't." Persephone set Pomelia down, clenching her fists tightly. "Aphrodite and Hera were teaching me to control it! As for birth control, I will use natural methods if necessary, or condoms! Why does this even matter!" 

"Because I didn't want you to deal with the fall out of those urges! Look at Hera. Look at Aphrodite!" Persephone cringed, knowing full well the mess that the Love and War family was. Eros wasn't subtle about his mom's self esteem issues, and how if she wasn't getting her ego stroked then she needed to be worshipped in other ways. "Look at me." The final words came out in a sigh of defeat. 

"You? Mama, you're powerful, successful, independent, and in control!" Persephone angrily wiped her cheeks as her mother set down her cup. 

"Do you have any idea the number of supplements and medicine I'm on to suppress my fertility desire?" The words were slow, almost shameful. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to fight them back, to not give in? Do you know it's been proven across multiple Pantheons that the true need only comes to bear if you have sex. Remaining a virgin helps curb the...urge."

Persephone had never, in her entire life, seen her mother look as flustered as she did. "Who was he, Mama? It wasn't Hades. He would have-"

"Zeus first." Persephone almost fell into a chair. "He lied and tricked me, saying he wanted me to be by his side. Then, Poseidon, but at least he didn't give me falsities. For him it was always post combat relief." She ran a thumb along her cup, heaving a sigh. "Then, Hades started... watching me and following me and staring-"

"You thought he would..." Persephone let her voice trail off before adding. "But he didn't."

"Because he was too busy having sex with Hera every time Zeus was away. I have no doubt if she had turned him down, he-"

"He wouldn't have touched you."

"It doesn't matter." Persephone knew her mother had her mind made up. Only an extreme could change it. "Then, as I got older. I realized I preferred women to men anyways. Yet, it didn't cure the edge, the urge. So, I started discovering ways to repress it." 

"Then why do you have threesomes with-"

"Because they don't always work! We're fertility goddesses! We are inherently designed to procreate!" 

"Just because you're ashamed of your decisions and needs, Mama, doesn't mean I am." Persephone shook her head, sniffing back more tears. It was all becoming apparent. "You wanted to keep me from living what you are. Right? That's why." Demeter nodded, her purple hair finally falling free of her updo. "And you thought I'd feel shame at my sexual urges, like you do?" Silence permeated the room. 

"Mama, I get it. I do. You lived through nonstop trauma for decades, and then the people who should have led you and protected you used you." Persephone heaved a sigh as she picked up her mother's tea cup and walked over to make her another. "You need to see a therapist, Mama. You really do."

"Therapists are for weak or insec-"

"Mine will be here on Wednesday at eleven am." Persephone turned, offering her mother a soft smile as she handed her the cup.

"You see a Therapist?" Persephone nodded gently. 

"So does Hades, Eros, Hestia, Athena Hera and Poseidon." The look of surprise on her mother's face was genuine. Persephone could see she'd really thought she was struggling alone. For the first time, she found she was able to push aside her anger and pain at her mother's behavior. She cupped her green cheek, much the way Eros had done for her so many times. "The strongest thing you can do, Mama, is admit you need help."


	71. Chapter 71

Hades could not focus on his computer. He was trying. Everything felt wrong. Everything was off. He couldn't place what it was that was nagging him. He knew it was related to Persephone, but it was more than just the knowledge she was not across the lobby. It was more than she wouldn't be in his arms tonight. He couldn't put his finger on it. 

The morning had been torture, as had his lunch. His phone had not sounded Persephone's text tone or ring tone once. She hadn't logged into UWCIM, and Galina hadn't walked in once with flowers in her hair. "I hate this." He sighed, rubbing his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. It only two, but he couldn't get a single thing to make sense. 

"Come on, Sweetness. It's been hours."He picked up his phone, shoving himself to his feet. Hades hadn't touched a single cigarette or cigar since his drunken breakdown, but now he was craving something. He chose a cigar, deciding his cold turkey approach on cigs shouldn't be broken. After lighting it, he trailed his fingers along the ivy that had covered the walls of his office since the third time they'd made love on his desk. The usually waxy stems and soft leaves crumbled under his touch. 

His cigar smoke caught in his throat, choking him, and Hades whirled to find the various free growing plants in his office all looked withered. The potted ones were fine, but everything that bespoke his Queen's power and grace were dead. "No! No! You can't!" It had been two weeks since they'd left for their honeymoon, and less than ten hours since Persephone had returned to the mortal realm, but already the life she had breathed into his realm was fading away. He didn't think their withering would affect him so hard, but suddenly it felt as if his hope was being leeched away. Suddenly, the off feeling was all too understandable. Persephone's presence was fading. 

His phone gave a buzz before the unmistakable sounds of birds trilling and wind in bushes announced the relief he was waiting for. Hades nearly dropped his phone as he pressed on the answer button. "Kore." He didn't care if she heard the panic or fear in his one worded gasp. "Persephone..." 

"Aidoneus." Her voice seemed very thick and dry, like when she'd have a panic attack from a nightmare. "I'm sorry! My phone died, and I couldn't find the box with the charger."

"It doesn't matter, love. All that matters is that you called." He dropped his now dead cigar onto the ash tray. "Breathe, Sweetness." He didn't know if he was talking to his wife or himself at that moment. Hades collapsed back into his chair, exhaling the knot of dread that had tangled itself in his chest. 

"I need to see you. Aidoneus..." Persephone's whisper triggered something in his core. "Mama thinks it can wait until the weekend but."

"I'm on my-" Hades winced when Persephone'd sharp whisper cut him off. 

"No... not now. My....assistants... will be back any minute." He gripped the arm of his chair, feeling that feral call only she could draw from his core rearing its head. Hades didn't know how he knew, but everything in him was howling that Persephone was under some threat. He _knew_ she was more than capable of holding her own against anything. That didn't make his desire to rush to her aid any less intense. 

"How's your mother?" Hades pushed himself to his feet again. He had to do something, anything, to keep his urges in check. Snatching up his abandoned cigar, he lit it and began pacing his office. _What could possibly be happening that Demeter agrees I should know but is still unimportant enough to wait until the weekend._

"She's frustrated, worried, and struggling with the changes." There was noise in the background, like a small crash followed by a squeak. "No, Chrysa... no... it's fine. It wasn't expensive." Hades knew instantly whatever had been broken had, indeed, been disgustingly expensive. "Here, why don't you hang these in my closet, there's a girl."

"So what was it?" Hades exhaled smoke from his words, while Persephone's exasperated sigh made more of his panic ease. "And don't fib to me, little Goddess." 

"That crystal vase you picked up for me in Egypt." Hades winced, and he realized that Chrysa must be very young or very innocent for Persephone to not have gotten more upset towards her. "I'll save the pieces. Now..." there wad a rustling sound, and Hades instantly recognized the trill of birds and the breath of the wind. "I don't have long away from the charger. Tonight... be prepared. As soon as Mama is asleep, I'm going to summon you."

"Should I bring a platoon-"

"No, just you." Persephone's voice hadn't sounded so strained in a long time. "I miss you." 

"I miss you too." Hades said softly. "All the plants your powers grew in my office are withering." He watched as the ones he had touched before her call began to turn into golden dust. "I didn't think it'd hurt this much when they started to." 

"I'll think of something to help." Persephone whispered. He swore he could feel her loneliness in his own chest. "I love you so much, Aidoneus." Her name was called from somewhere in the background, making his queen heave a breath before he could reply. "I'm coming Mama!" 

"I love you too, Sweetness. Go charge your phone." Hades took another long draw of his cigar even as the beep-beep of the phone dying and dropping the call filled his ear. "I need a drink." Persephone's concerned tone was rattling around his brain, and he knew waiting for her summons would be torturous. 

Persephone ground her teeth as she stormed back into her room to plug in her phone. Demeter was kneeling at the shattered vase on the floor. "What happened to this?" Her mama queried, delicately lifting one of the larger shards into the folds of her dress. "It looks like it was beautiful." 

"Chrysa had a fumble." Persephone knelt down beside her, doing her best to gather up as much of the dust as she could. Hecate or maybe even Malika would have a repair spell, and she was sure they would help. "I didn't punish her. She's young." 

"This is Egyptian." Demeter hummed in admiration, holding up another shard to admire the inscription. "Where did you buy it? I can rep-"

"It was a gift from Hades, when he was out of town on the monthly soul exchange with Anubis." Persephone did her best not to meet her mother's gaze as she continued to pick the mess up. 

"He buys you a lot of gifts it seems." There was a tone in her mother's voice, almost like a warning but far too condescending.

Persephone huffed, reaching out to pick up the last few shards. "Mama, I'm not fighting with you over how my husband expresses his love." She stood, carefully, holding her dress up so that she could carry the vase pieces over to a low table. "In fact, I'm not going to fight with you over Hades at all. You won, Mama."

"I don't want to fight." Persephone snorted as Demeter joined her. She also began to place the pieces down with obvious care. "I don't like him. I don't like that you married him. That wasn't what I was bringing up." 

"What, then, Mama?" Asked Persephone as she returned to her drawers to find a scarf or shawl to cover the shards with. "What is there to bring up." 

"I'm just concerned that he works so hard to buy your affection that he doesn't pay attention to what you-"

"Hades doesn't buy my affection, Mother." Persephone growled, pulling out one of her old shawls and carrying it over. "We communicated these things, Mama. He insisted on learning about me, so he could be a good husband." Persephone covered the vase, then returned to her unpacking. "He is a wonderful god, an amazing king, and an even better husband." She pulled out one of her white chitons and heaved a sigh. "You spent so much time trying to destroy our marriage, and now suddenly you're concerned I'm not happy?" 

"Well I don't know what else to talk about!" Her mother's voice was full of exasperation. Persephone didn't care. She was so sick of being talked down on and bossed around. She had to admit that as much as she missed her husband, she was also missing the power she held in her realm. "You've shut me out of-"

"No! You shut yourself out." She whirled around, facing her mother, and let her pain and anger show. "You can't accept me for me! I'm not a little bean anymore Mama. I may not have fought in the Titanochamy, but I have fought battles of my own, battles _you_ never prepared me for." Persephone didn't expect to see the shame and guilt pouring in tears down her mother's face, but the green Goddess' scant makeup was as smeared and smudged as Hera's had been on many occasions. "How could I have known I would be treated like a commodity, if you never told me I was a fertility goddess!?"

"I didn't prepare you, because I thought my name would be enough to protect you!" Persephone had never seen her mother look so utterly defeated. Demeter had sank to the bed, wiping her eyes, her makeup smudged hands staining her himation. "I never imagined an Olympian would ever dare to lay a hand on you. I should..." the choked sob made Persephone's own throat tighten. "I should have told you everything, even about the shades. I... I really did fear Hades would have you in shackles for encroaching on his domain."

"You never even considered that me being the first born fertility goddess in centuries and simultaneously possessing abilities only the rulers of the Underworld should have, that maybe I needed instruction!" Persephone felt the truth of her anger at his mother erupt in a furry of hot tears. She sank down beside her. "I'm not saying what Apollo did was your fault, but I didn't know what to do because I never knew I had power."

"I'm sorry!" Demeter choked out. "You're right. I should have prepared you! I'm sorry." Persephone reached over to take her mama's hand. "I'm so so sorry." The apology was as sincere as Persephone had ever heard, and some of the anger inside of her began to melt. So she nudged her mama's arm up, wrapped her arms around her waist, and finally found the strength to do what Hades and her therapist had encouraged with little success. 

As angry as Persephone was at Demeter and Zeus and the whole situation, Her mama's embrace and tears gave her the strength. She mourned the loss of her innocence, and even though her mother wasn't speaking, her pained sobs were enough to tell her that it was the first time her mama had truly mourned the loss of her own.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic of] From Spring Comes Death by TimeLadyoftheSith](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718558) by [INeedMoreHadesBeforeISwoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/INeedMoreHadesBeforeISwoon/pseuds/INeedMoreHadesBeforeISwoon)




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